Written questions by Anderson.

Communities and Local Government, when she plans to publish a call for evidence on park home sales commission.

The government recognise that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home.The previous government published a report in June 2022 on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission. It can be found on gov.uk here.We will set out plans in due course to seek further evidence from the sector on the rationale for the commission.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of a single remote gambling duty on the sustainability of the horseracing sector.

The Government consultation on proposals to simplify the current gambling tax system by merging the three current taxes that cover remote (including online) gambling into one closed on 21 July 2025. The proposed changes are intended to reduce complexity and improve compliance. The Government engaged with a range of stakeholders, including the horse racing sector throughout the consultation period and is now analysing submissions. The potential impact on horseracing and its workforce as well as the broader economic and social implications will be considered carefully as part of the process. If any changes are made to gambling duties at a future Budget following the consultation, the legislation will be accompanied by a Tax Information and Impact Note which will set out the expected impacts.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of extending permitted development rights on farm productivity.

The Government’s commitment to farming and food security remains steadfast, which is why the government is investing £2.7 billion a year into sustainable food production and nature’s recovery, with funding for our Environmental Land Management schemes increasing by 150%. Our recent food strategy publication committed to a joined-up approach across the food system to supporting healthy resilient and sustainable food production. Planning reforms are one of several levers the government is using to support farmers. As part of this, Defra hosted a series of planning reform roundtables in June, led by Minister Zeichner, to discuss planning issues affecting farmers and is now considering the feedback.

Whether he is taking steps to increase the number of apprenticeships within his Department.

We remain committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships across the civil service to break down barriers to opportunity. The Scotland Office considers the use of apprenticeships for all relevant recruitment campaigns.

Whether she is taking steps to increase the number of apprenticeships within her Department.

Apprenticeships are available to new and existing Wales Office staff and my Department promotes these opportunities through Ministry of Justice (MoJ) intranet bulletins and Wales Office staff newsletters. When vacancies arise, the Department also considers if posts may be advertised as apprenticeships.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to help increase the number of community (a) pubs and (b) social clubs.

This Government recognises the crucial role that pubs and social clubs play in our communities, supporting local economies, providing a sense of community pride, and fostering belonging and connection. We want to support communities to take ownership of assets that are important to them. Community Right to Buy, introduced in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, will help local people acquire valued community spaces, such as pubs and social clubs, if they come up for sale, keeping these assets in the hands of the community.

Whether he is taking steps to increase the number of apprenticeships within his Department.

The Northern Ireland Office remains committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships to break down barriers to opportunity. This includes supporting the Government’s commitment to 2,000 digital apprenticeships through its TechTrack scheme by 2030 to improve digital skills and drive improvements and efficiency in public services. As a department, the Northern Ireland Office annually recruits a Communication Apprentice through the Government Communications Service.

Innovation and Technology, what progress his Department has made on gigabit voucher take-up in rural areas.

The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme provides a subsidy of up to £4,500 towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband to homes and businesses via local community broadband projects.As of March 2024, 296,400 premises were able to take-up a gigabit-capable broadband connection as a result of the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, the vast majority of which are in rural areas.We continue to support broadband suppliers to deliver voucher projects that have been approved as part of Project Gigabit.

What steps he is taking to increase apprenticeship opportunities within his Department.

In DBT, apprenticeships remain a core element of the learning and development offer for all employees. We are taking active steps to continue to increase apprenticeship opportunities within the Department, with commitment to our recently launched DBT Apprenticeship Plan for 2025-2026. This includes offering all new Executive Officer (EO) vacancies as apprenticeships, encouraging those at the start of their careers to consider an apprenticeship route as default.DBT are also committed to support the new ‘Civil Service Career Launch Apprenticeship’ (CLA) Programme which seeks to support individuals kickstarting their careers whilst undertaking the Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship, with placements launching across government and within DBT in January 2026.DBT also supports the Government’s commitment to improving digital skills through the TechTrack scheme which is committed to supporting 2,000 digital apprenticeships by 2030.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding has been allocated to local environmental improvement projects through the Water Restoration Fund.

The Water Restoration Fund (WRF) was established to reinvest water company environmental fines and penalties back into projects to improve the water environment. Successful applicants have been notified, with a total of £11 million, based on water company fines and penalties from April 2022 until October 2023, due to be invested into local projects to improve our waterways. Going forwards, this government has announced that over £100 million in fines and penalties levied against water companies since October 2023, as well as future fines and penalties, will be reinvested into projects to clean up our waters, which could include local environmental programmes to address pollution and improve water quality. Further details on the projects and programmes that this funding will go towards will be set out later in the year.

What steps he is taking to help reduce petrol prices in rural areas.

The Government will implement the Competition & Markets Authority's recommendation to help drive down pump prices by introducing a statutory open data scheme, Fuel Finder, at the end of 2025. This scheme will increase fuel price transparency, enabling drivers to compare prices easily and make more informed decisions on where to buy petrol and diesel. By introducing this statutory open data scheme, petrol filling stations will face increased competition, leading to a reduction in fuel prices across the UK, including in rural areas.

What steps he has taken to increase apprenticeship opportunities within his Department.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is expanding apprenticeship opportunities through its upcoming Talent Strategy. With 83 apprentices currently in post, the Department is broadening the offer by launching a Social Mobility Apprenticeship Programme, procuring new contracts aligned with its core delivery and mission priorities, and promoting opportunities through targeted outreach and engagement. It is also improving the apprentice experience through stronger networks and dedicated guidance. DESNZ continues to recruit through Civil Service schemes and remains fully committed to creating meaningful, high-quality early career pathways for both new and existing staff through a growing apprenticeship offer.

What steps she is taking to improve the recruitment and retention of further education staff in rural areas.

The department has announced an additional £190 million for 16 to 19 education in 2025/26 to help colleges, schools, and other providers recruit and retain expert teachers. This is in addition to over £400 million already planned for 16 to 19 education, and £155 million to support increased National Insurance costs. It is separate from my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s £600 million investment to address construction sector skills shortages. This funding will be delivered nationally and support colleges across the country, including land-based colleges that play a vital role in rural areas.To support early-career further education (FE) teachers in technical subjects, the department is offering retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax in 2024/25 and 2025/26, including in rural and coastal areas.Our national 'Teach in FE' campaign raises awareness and directs prospective teachers, including industry professionals to job listings and support services.We also run ‘Taking Teaching Further’, a two-year programme helping industry experts retrain as FE teachers.Together, these initiatives support our pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers across FE, secondary, and specialist schools during this Parliament, as part of our Plan for Change.

What steps she is taking to increase apprenticeship opportunities within her Department.

We remain committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships across all government departments to break down barriers to opportunity.A new cross-Government Level 3 apprenticeship programme in Business Administration, the ‘Civil Service Career Launch Apprenticeship’ (CLA), will see new apprentices kickstart their careers, across various departments, starting from January 2026. The Department for Work and Pensions has been supporting Cabinet Office with the development of this new scheme, sharing learning from our own school leaver Social Mobility Apprenticeship pilot, which has run successfully for the last two years, with our first cohort of school leavers all securing permanent employment within the Department. In addition, in the Department for Work and Pensions we are developing an internal apprenticeship strategy, which will utilise the flexibility provided by the new Growth and Skills Levy to develop skills and support the future needs of the Department. Expansion of opportunities to recruit new apprentices are being explored, including continued use of our Social Mobility Apprenticeship schemes and direct recruitment of apprentices into entry level roles. We have recently run two Civil Service Jobs campaigns for Level 3 apprentices in Counter Fraud and Compliance across eight locations, with our latest campaign currently at sift stage and our first learners now starting on programme. Internally, we have also recently launched new apprenticeship opportunities for existing staff, including the Level 3 Data Technician apprenticeship designed to build digital and data skills within our workforce. We are committed to Getting Britain Working, driving growth through employment. Our plan includes a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education are working closely with the eight Mayoral Strategic Authorities in England who have commenced phased delivery of the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers announced in the Get Britain Working white paper from May 2025. The Department is committed to offering high quality apprenticeships for all and working with professions to identify opportunities to fulfil business needs.

What progress she has made on the expansion of mental health support teams in rural schools.

​The government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.As of March 2025, 41% of schools and colleges worked with an MHST, representing 52% of pupils and learners across the country, and we estimate this will increase to 50% of schools and colleges by March 2026, representing 60% of pupils and learners.Data by degree of rurality shows that as of March 2025, the MHST coverage is 24% of schools in rural hamlets, 21% of schools in rural villages and 36% of schools in rural towns and fringes.The expansion of MHSTs to all schools and colleges by 2029/30 will prioritise rollout based on NHS identification of local need and reaching the most vulnerable children first.

Communities and Local Government, what the Department's long-term strategy is for enabling local communities to save valued community assets from deterioration.

Through the English Devolution Bill, we are committed to legislate for a ‘right to buy’, giving local people stronger powers to secure and preserve valued community assets if they come up for sale. We are also committed to regenerating our country’s neighbourhoods. As the chancellor announced at the spending review the government will be supporting communities with funding for up to 350 places. More details will be announced in due course.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of apprenticeship opportunities within her Department.

We remain committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships across all government departments to break down barriers to opportunity. This includes supporting the Government's commitment to 2,000 digital apprenticeships through its TechTrack scheme by 2030 to improve digital skills and drive improvements and efficiency in public services.Additionally, a new cross-Government Level 3 apprenticeship programme in Business Administration, The ‘Civil Service Career Launch Apprenticeship’, will see new apprentices kickstart their careers, across various departments, starting from January 2026.

What recent progress she has made on the implementation of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.

The Government is committed to strong neighbourhood policing for everyone in England and Wales, wherever they live. On 10 April, the Prime Minister and Home Secretary outlined further details about our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, including that by July, every community, will have named and contactable officers dedicated to addressing issues facing their communities. Local communities and businesses will also have ongoing opportunities to engage with neighbourhood teams and raise local concerns and priorities through regular local beat meetings.The Guarantee was developed through close working with the National Police Chief’s Council and other policing leads, and we continue to work closely with them to ensure it is delivered across all police forces in England and Wales.The Government has made £200 million available in FY 25/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales, including up to 3000 additional neighbourhood officers by March 2026.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of apprenticeships available in her Department.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19th May 2025 to PQ51804.

What steps are being taken to improve the UK defence industrial base in (a) Shropshire and (b) the West Midlands.

The recent Strategic Defence Review and National Security Strategy have identified the need to grow and enhance resilience in our defence industrial base. The Defence Industrial Strategy will set out the full package of measures to make the UK a defence industrial superpower by 2035. This will include a new partnership with industry to realise defence’s potential as an engine for growth across all the nations and regions of the UK, including Shropshire and the West Midlands.