Written questions by Hayes.

Communities and Local Government, whether she is taking steps to encourage local authorities to buy playground equipment from UK manufacturers.

Playgrounds are a vital part of our social infrastructure. They contribute to the health and development of children and young people across the nation and build on the government’s mission of opportunities for all by ensuring everyone has the best start in life.Local authorities work locally to support adults and children to lead more active lives through access to public leisure services, green space, parks and playground spaces. Their public health budgets are used to deliver local physical activity interventions such as the purchasing of playground equipment. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced, recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities and that procurement is up to the discretion of Local authorities rather than the Government.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the use of hotels as accommodation for asylum seekers on the (a) hospitality and (b) tourism sectors.

The Home Office works closely with local authorities and other key stakeholders across the UK to ensure that any asylum accommodation is successfully and securely managed and that the impact upon the local community is minimised.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of pupils learning modern foreign languages to GCSE level in Bournemouth.

The department is providing funding to support the uptake of languages across the country. We continue to fund the National Consortium for Languages Education, which delivers online continuing professional development for teachers and a new model of language support for schools. This programme is designed to have national reach, ensuring that all schools can benefit regardless of their location.To further support languages education, the department is offering a £26,000 tax-free bursary for trainee language teachers starting courses in 2025, or alternatively, a £28,000 tax-free scholarship for those training to teach French, German, or Spanish. Additionally, Oak National Academy is developing modern foreign languages lesson resources for key stages 2 to 4, to be fully released by autumn 2025, helping teachers deliver high-quality lessons and reduce planning time.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of long-term mental health conditions starting in childhood on employment rates amongst those young people.

DfE published statistics estimated that in 2024 over 1 in 6 young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) had a mental health condition compared with 1 in 13 in 20122. As part of our mission driven Government, regular cross-Government collaboration takes place at both Ministerial and official level. The Government has an ambitious goal of an 80% employment rate: we do not want to just support people who are closest to the labour market nearer towards it, but focus on the people who, and the places that are, furthest away from the labour market. A crucial part of this is improving the support that we offer to those with mental health conditions. Current measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and WorkWell. Building on our WorkWell, Employment Advisers in Talking Therapies and Connect to Work programmes, we will ensure people with a health condition have access to the holistic support they need. In the Government’s Pathways to Work green paper, we further committed to developing a support guarantee, so that disabled people and those with a health condition, including those with mental health conditions get the work, health and skills support they need to access and thrive in employment. We will further pilot the integration of employment advisers and work coaches into the neighbourhood health service, so that working age people with long term health conditions have an integrated public service offer. A patient’s employment goals will be part of care plans, to support more joined up service provision. 1 Is work good for your health and well-being? An independent review - GOV.UK2 NEET age 16 to 24, Calendar year 2024 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK

Whether her Department has a target for narrowing the disability employment gap.

The Government is committed to reducing the disability employment gap as part of an ambition to raise the overall employment rate to 80%. The Government has published a set of key indicators, including the disability employment rate gap, which is monitored regularly to assess progress and identify influencing factors.

Whether his Department plans to take steps to help support domestic manufacturing of playground equipment.

The Industrial Strategy launched in June 2025 sets out this government's plans to kickstart an era of economic prosperity. A new approach, it will create a more connected, high-skilled and resilient economy where every person, place and business can flourish. The accompanying Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan sets out specific support for manufacturers, outlining how government will work with industry to build resilience, champion innovation, support businesses to scale up and develop a skilled future workforce. The Plan features interventions focused on six frontier industries – batteries, automotive, aerospace, space, agri-tech, advanced materials as well as cross-sector measures supporting the wider manufacturing ecosystem.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his polices on the wellbeing of children of the level of effectiveness of the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 in Australia.

We have a close relationship with the Australian government, formalised through the Online Safety and Security MoU. This engagement forms part of our ongoing work to develop the evidence-base and monitor technological developments and international interventions to protect children online.Under the UK’s Online Safety Act, online platforms are required to put in place strong protections against illegal content and harmful material for children. The government is committed to taking the action needed to ensure that children are protected while enjoying the benefits of being online.

With reference to the Centre for Young Lives report, entitled Everything to Play For, published in June 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of decline in the duration of free playtime during school breaktimes on children's (a) development and (b) wellbeing.

The department supports active lunch and break times, and government guidance sets a minimum school week of 32.5 hours, inclusive of breaks, to allow time for play.The early years foundation stage framework is clear that play is essential for learning and development, with schools and providers responsible for ensuring the school day includes opportunities for social interaction, physical activity and enrichment.The department also values understanding pupils’ school experience and has recently committed to publishing annual data on, amongst other things, pupils’ sense of belonging, enjoyment and safety at school. In 2026, we will also publish a national best practice framework to support pupil engagement, offering guidance and case studies for schools.

What steps he is taking to increase the availability of mental health services in (a) Bournemouth and (b) Dorset.

The NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is responsible for commissioning National Health Service mental health services to meet the needs of its local populations in Bournemouth and Dorset.At national level, we will fulfil our commitments to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers by the end of the Parliament to help cut waiting times and to expand mental health support teams to cover all schools in England by 2029/30. We will also expand NHS Talking Therapies and individual placement and support schemes, so more people can access the support they need.The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country. We are transforming mental health services into 24 hours a day, seven days a week neighbourhood mental health centres, improving assertive outreach and increasing access to evidence based digital interventions. People will get better access to mental health support and advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week directly through the NHS App, including through self-referral for talking therapies, without needing a general practice appointment.

When he plans to publish the Flexibility Roadmap.

The Government will publish the Clean Flexibility Roadmap in 2025, as stated in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the birth rate on school rolls.

The department’s National Pupil Projections are updated annually to take account of the latest population estimates and population projections published by the Office for National Statistics, which incorporate the latest birth rate trends. The department’s projections are published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/national-pupil-projections/2024.

With reference to her oral contribution of 12 May 2025, Official Report, column 2, what assessment she has made of the potential value of the review being completed before changes to eligibility for Personal Independence Payments come into force.

As I stated in the House of Commons on 1 July 2025, Official Report, column 219, any changes to PIP eligibility will come after the comprehensive review of the PIP assessment which I am leading to ensure that the PIP assessment is fair and fit for the future. We are committed to co-producing this review with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard. The review is expected to conclude in Autumn 2026. Over the summer we will engage widely with stakeholders to design the process for the work of the review and consider how it can best be co-produced to ensure that expertise from a range of different perspectives is drawn upon.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the length of paid parental leave.

The Government is committed to making life better for families. In the Plan to Make Work Pay we promised to review the parental leave system. We are delivering on this commitment and launched this review on 1st July.The review presents a much-needed opportunity to consider our approach to the system of parental leave and pay. All current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements will be in scope.

What discussions she is having with the Equality and Human Rights Commission on ensuring that updates to the Code of Practice provides practical guidance for service providers who wish to remain trans-inclusive.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) consultation on the changes made to the draft updated statutory Code of Practice following the Supreme Court ruling closed on 30 June. We will consider the EHRC's final draft Code of Practice once it has been submitted. It is important that the Code provides the clarity service providers need, in line with the Supreme Court ruling, and ensures people have appropriate access to crucial services. Once the final draft is sent to us by the EHRC, we will follow the correct process for decision-making including considering equality impacts in line with the public sector equality duty and providing for full parliamentary scrutiny in line with the Equality Act 2006.

What discussions he has had with the Crown Estate on Offshore Wind Leasing Round 6 including sites off the Dorset coast.

The Crown Estate aims to bring to market an additional 20-30GW of offshore wind leasing opportunity by 2030, to support the UK’s net zero and energy security ambitions. In September 2024, The Crown Estate published its Future of Offshore Wind report which identified regional areas of opportunity including the North East and the Celtic Sea. The Crown Estate has not yet identified which individual project sites will be bought to market in its next leasing round.

When she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ban conversion therapy for trans people.

This Government’s position is that conversion practices are abuse. Such practices have no place in society and must be stopped. We are committed to bringing forward a comprehensive trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices. This is a complex issue, and it is imperative that we get this right. That is why, in collaboration with Ministerial colleagues, my officials and I are working hard to draft legislation that protects LGBT individuals from these harmful practices. We will publish our draft Bill later this session for pre-legislative scrutiny.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the disability employment gap on (a) the public purse and (b) trends in the level of economic growth.

The Department has published analysis which estimated the costs to the economy of working age ill-health or disabilities that prevent working in the UK, to be between £240 and £330 billion. The Government is committed to reducing the disability employment gap, as part of a clear ambition to raise the overall employment rate to 80%. The Government has published a set of key indicators, including the disability employment rate gap, which is monitored regularly to assess progress and identify influencing factors.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of the NHS 10-Year Plan on (a) levels of employment and (b) the cost to the public purse of (i) health and (ii) incapacity benefits.

The Department for Work and Pensions and Department of Health and Social Care Joint Work and Health Directorate was set up in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to improve employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions. The Directorate is staffed by officials in both Departments who report to both Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Work and Pensions Ministers. The Secretaries of State and Junior Ministers for Work and Pensions and for Health and Social Care meet on a regular basis. We know that good work is generally good for health and wellbeing and that there are many disabled people who want to work. Our Pathways to Work Guarantee will provide work, health and skills support for disabled people and those with health conditions claiming out of work benefits. The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and Social Care have worked together on the 10 Year Health Plan. The Plan will break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. The Plan sets out the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of health and care needs, including for disabled people. Furthermore, it outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work. Neighbourhood health services will support people to access services closer to home, which will benefit people whose disability may make travelling challenging. NHS Health and Growth Accelerators are testing a novel approach where local NHS systems are supported to increase – and are held accountable for – the impact they have on people’s work status. If those Accelerators are successful, we will expect all integrated care boards (ICBs) to establish specific and measurable outcome targets on their contribution to reducing economic inactivity and unemployment based on this model. In developing that approach, we will expect ICBs to seek the closest possible collaboration with local government partners – including mayors and strategic health authorities in particular – so that citizens benefit from a seamless work, health and skills offer in their area The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and Social Care are working together and will continue to do so as the package of reforms is developed in detail.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of higher education providers on exports produced by Bournemouth.

Exports from the UK’s higher education providers have a significant economic impact on the UK and their respective regions. In 2022, total education-related exports and transnational education revenue was estimated to be £32.9 billion, with higher education contributing £23.7 billion to this figure. According to the latest Higher Education Statistics Agency data, 4,525 international students were enrolled in Bournemouth’s higher education institutions in the academic year 2023/24, directly contributing to education export revenue generated in Bournemouth through tuition fees and living expenditure.The government is currently reviewing its international education strategy to ensure that it continues to be an effective tool in increasing the value of education exports across the UK.

What assessment she has made of the disability employment gap in (a) Bournemouth and (b) the South West.

The disability employment gap is monitored and published in the official statistics release The employment of disabled people 2024 - GOV.UK in data tables LMS008, LMS009 and LMS010. This includes statistics on the South West region, parliamentary constituencies Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and local authority area Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. The disability employment gap for 2020 to 2022 was 23.6 percentage points for the South West, 23.8 percentage points for Bournemouth East, and 35.2 percentage points in Bournemouth West. This compares to the UK wide disability employment gap of 27.4 percentage points for 2020 to 2022. This is the latest period for which reliable data is available. Estimates below national level are based on smaller sample sizes and should therefore be used with caution.