Written questions by Collins.

What legal redress is available to victims of rogue traders where alleged misconduct spans multiple jurisdictions in (a) England and (b) Northern Ireland.

A range of legal redress options are available to those who consider they have fallen victim to rogue traders, including both civil and criminal justice remedies. Citizens Advice provide help and information on consumer rights in England and Wales (and equivalent agencies in Northern Ireland) as well as being able to refer individuals to partner consumer organisations for additional help or enforcement, such as Trading Standards.Civil claims for the recovery of assets or compensation may be pursued under consumer rights legislation, much of which applies across the United Kingdom. Claims are generally brought in whichever jurisdiction the defendant is domiciled, although the court will determine whether it, or the courts of another jurisdiction, is the more appropriate forum to hear the dispute between the parties.Consumers have rights to redress for misleading actions under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act 2024. Redress includes the right to unwind the contract, claim a discount and claim damages. Further, the DMCC Act makes provisions for enforcers and courts to include enhanced consumer measures in undertakings and enforcement orders. This includes compensation or other redress to consumers who have suffered loss as a result of certain breaches of consumer law.Criminal justice remedies may also be applicable, such as offences under the Fraud Act 2006 (for example fraud by false representation) and should be reported to the police.

Whether his Department plans to establish a statutory regulator for domestic renovation contractors to improve (a) consumer protections and (b) accountability.

This Government is working to ensure we have a high-quality and professional construction industry, with consumer protection at the heart of this. TrustMark, sponsored by the Department and licenced by the Government, is the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme that covers work a consumer chooses to have carried out in or around their home. In addition, the Building Safety Act 2022 has introduced competence requirements for both individuals and businesses working in the built environment.Any action that the Government takes on licensing to protect customers and standards needs to be robust, proportionate and evidence based.

What information her Department holds on the number of special schools that have shortened school (a) days and (b) weeks for funding reasons; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children with special educational needs and disabilities receive a full education.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.The department does not hold data on reasons why special schools have changed their school day or week.To support children with SEND in special schools, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. Total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND is over £12 billion in 2025/26. Of this total, Hertfordshire County Council is being allocated over £207 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), to support SEND provision in Hertfordshire. This is an increase of £17.6 million on their 2024/25 DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula (NFF), and a 9.8% increase per head of their 2 to 18 year-old population, on their equivalent 2024/25 NFF allocation.

Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Home Affairs on protecting (a) elderly and (b) vulnerable people against AI scams using deepfake content; and what steps he is taking to tackle such scams.

DSIT regularly engages with Home Office on ongoing efforts to protect users from online harms, including AI-generated scams. AI generated content is regulated by the Online Safety Act where it is shared on an in-scope service and constitutes either illegal content or content which is harmful to children.In March this year the Act’s illegal harms duties came into force, with fraud captured as a priority offence. User-to-user services must take preventative measures to stop fraudulent content from appearing and swiftly remove it where it does. Search services must minimise fraudulent content from appearing in results. This includes AI generated deepfake scams.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing ringfenced funding for statutory vision impairment services in further education.

The government’s approach to supporting young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in further education (FE) aims to ensure that all students with SEND receive appropriate support tailored to their needs.All education and training providers have a duty under Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, including those with visual impairments, so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students. Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 can be read in full here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/20.Local authorities receive high needs funding which they distribute to FE colleges to support students with SEND. However, the allocation and use of this funding is flexible, allowing colleges to address the diverse needs of their student population, rather than being restricted to specific disability types. Providers should keep both funding levels and methodologies under consideration to ensure value for money.To support children with SEND in special schools, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. Total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND is over £12 billion in 2025/26.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of developing a strategy to ensure the full participation of blind and partially sighted students in education through the use of (a) assistive and (b) mainstream technology.

Assistive technology (AT), such as dictation tools and screen readers, can break down barriers to opportunity for students with disabilities and is a key part of helping every child to achieve and thrive.With rapid improvements in the accessibility features built into standard devices, schools now have more access to AT than ever before. Evidence shows that, when used effectively, AT is a key component of high-quality teaching for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)..An independent evaluation report of recent training found that effective AT use positively influences the independence, confidence, attainment, behaviour and engagement of students with SEND. Training participants also felt that effective AT use can positively impact the use of support staff and teacher time.The government is committed to helping teachers use technology to support their students with SEND. We are embedding evidence-based practice and broadening the effective use of AT. This includes commissioning brand new research to see how different agencies can best come together to encourage schools to use AT as effectively as possible, and ensuring the effective use of AT will become part of national training for all new teachers in 2025.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of a (a) national and (b) mandatory Code of Practice to tackle bullying in schools.

All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying.The department has issued guidance to schools on how to prevent and respond to bullying as part of their overall behaviour policy. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying.The department is establishing up to 90 new regional improvement in standards and excellence Attendance and Behaviour Hubs, which will focus on supporting senior leaders to develop safe, supportive school cultures with high expectations for attendance and behaviour, including using data to identify and address areas of concern.In addition to this, the department has engaged with charities, academics, parents and young people, to understand the issues around bullying. We will use that input to inform ways of testing practice that can be shared through hubs.

What plans his Department has to increase (a) awareness and (b) availability of Parkinson’s specialist nurses in primary care; and what proportion of GP surgeries have established referral pathways to such specialist support.

The Government is committed to improving care for people with neurological conditions, including those with Parkinson’s disease, and ensuring they receive the support that they need. With one in six people suffering from neurological conditions that can severely impact every aspect of their lives, it is vital we ensure that they, along with their families and carers, receive high-quality, compassionate care and access to the latest services and treatments. Having a better understanding of diseases like Parkinson’s is vital in making sure we can provide the right care at the right time.Integrated care boards (ICBs) commission secondary care neurology services and interface with primary care to ensure there is access to specialist services. Parkinson’s specialist nurses are generally based in secondary and community care settings, depending on where the ICB determines is the best service provision for their locality.All general practitioners should follow the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline 127 on the recognition and referral of people with suspected neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s disease. Further information on NICE clinical guideline 127 is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng127Regular support with a Parkinson’s disease nurse specialist is highlighted as a key intervention in NICE guideline 71, Parkinson’s disease in adults, which is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng71/

With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State in response to the question from the hon. Member for Harpenden and Berkhamsted of 2 May 2025, Official Report, column 11, if her Department will lay out further information on the strategy to target scams generated by AI.

The Home Office is absolutely committed to tackling the threat of fraud, which is why this Government has committed to publishing a new and enhanced Fraud Strategy that addresses the full range of harm that UK citizens face from fraud, including AI enabled fraud.The Home Office is also working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to identify and respond to the threats that AI poses across a broad range of harms, including fraud, and with the AI Security Institute on their work to evaluate the potential risks posed by advanced AI systems.

Whether her Department has had discussions with the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation on the steps needed to tackle AI scams in the form of phishing emails.

The Home Office is absolutely committed to tackling the threat of fraud, which is why this Government has committed to publishing a new and enhanced Fraud Strategy that addresses the full range of harm that UK citizens face from fraud, including AI enabled fraud.The Home Office is also working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to identify and respond to the threats that AI poses across a broad range of harms, including fraud, and with the AI Security Institute on their work to evaluate the potential risks posed by advanced AI systems.

Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Home Office on protecting (a) elderly and (b) vulnerable people against AI-generated scams in the form of deepfake content.

DSIT regularly engages with Home Office on ongoing efforts to protect users from online harms, including AI-Generated scams. AI generated content is regulated by the Online Safety Act where it is shared on an in-scope service and constitutes either illegal content or content which is harmful to children.In March this year the Act’s illegal harms duties came into force, with fraud captured as a priority offence. User-to-user services must take preventative measures to stop fraudulent content from appearing and swiftly remove it where it does. Search services must minimise fraudulent content from appearing in results. This includes AI generated deepfake scams.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) ensure that planned upgrades to Markyate Sewage Treatment Works go ahead, in the context of Thames Water’s financial position and (b) to prevent further sewage discharge into the River Ver.

We expect the company to meet their statutory and regulatory obligations. Thames Water’s current Asset Management Plan includes commitments to both maintain Markyate Wastewater Treatment Works and enhance its performance. Capital maintenance includes a Groundwater Impacted System Management Plan to reduce infiltration, together with a Wastewater Asset Assurance Programme to avoid pollution incidents and ensure permit compliance. Under the Water Industry National Environment Programme, Thames Water will deliver an improvement to reduce storm overflow spills at Markyate to an average of 10 spills. They must investigate whether the storm overflow at Markyate is having a local adverse ecological impact, which may drive the spill count of the delivered improvement below an average of 10 spills if it is identified as necessary.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) help tackle midwifery shortages and (b) improve recruitment and retention in the NHS in (i) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, (ii) Hertfordshire and (c) England.

The Government is committed to tackling the issues facing the maternity workforce, to make sure we have the right people in the right place at the right time. NHS England is leading a range of initiatives to boost retention of existing staff and to ensure that the National Health Service remains an attractive career choice for new recruits. This includes building a compassionate and inclusive culture, supporting staff wellbeing, and promoting flexible working opportunities.NHS England has invested in a range of measures, such as unit-based retention leads, a midwifery and nursing retention self-assessment tool, mentoring schemes, and investment in workforce capacity. This has resulted in an increase in retention and a reduction in vacancy, leaver, and turnover rates. As of March 2025, there are a record 25,000 full time equivalent midwives in post, which is over 1,400, or 6.1%, more full-time equivalent midwives in the maternity.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of removing funding for Level Seven apprenticeships for people aged 22 and above on (a) gender equality and (b) social mobility.

This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity. That is why we are moving funding away from level 7 apprenticeships for learners aged 22 and over, to ensure that funding is prioritised for learners at lower levels, who need the skills and training to progress in their careers.This decision was informed by a wide range of evidence, including Skills England’s analysis of official apprenticeship statistics and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. Skills England’s evidence suggested there was unlikely to be a significant or unavoidable fall in the supply of these skills in the long term, post-defunding, and alternative routes are well supplied. A significant proportion of level 7 apprentices are from non-deprived backgrounds and are significantly less likely to be deprived than apprentices at lower levels.Women are slightly less likely to be represented in the 16 to 21-year-old cohort of level 7 apprenticeships starts than those aged 22 and over. This is likely to be due to the recruitment norms in the standards that have a higher proportion of starts in the 16-21 age group, such as accountancy. The department will monitor trends over time and consider how this gap could be narrowed.

Whether his Department plans to hold an independent judge-led public inquiry into the 1994 RAF Chinook Helicopter crash.

In 2010, the Mull of Kintyre independent judge-led review was carried out by Lord Philips and the findings were fully accepted by the Ministry of Defence. The review found that the evidence did not make it possible to reach conclusions on potential technical causes for the crash. We have carefully considered calls for a public inquiry and we have now received legal representations from the Chinook Justice Campaign and we are considering our response to the points they have raised.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) school-aged girls and (b) young women can access help on public transport if they are concerned for their safety.

The Department is committed to ensuring everyone, including women and girls, is safe on the transport network. As part of our aim to reduce Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) by half over the next decade, we have an ambitious, evidence-based programme to help tackle VAWG on transport. This includes proposals in the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill, such as staff training on how to recognise and respond to incidents of criminal and anti-social behaviour. The Department is also working across government and with partners, including the British Transport Police (BTP), the transport industry and local authorities, to ensure that everyone feels and is safe when travelling. For example, in line with their zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment and sexual offences on the railway, the BTP deploy a range of policing techniques to pursue offenders on the rail network to ensure it remains a safe environment and encourage reporting of incidents via the 61016-text number or 999 in an emergency. They also have a range of innovative awareness campaigns to encourage reporting and bystander intervention in response to sexual offences. This includes the successful ‘Speak Up Interrupt’, encouraging bystanders to support or intervene to help victims.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to orchestral tax relief on touring orchestras’ ability to fund UK charity concerts and community programmes.

The UK provides world-leading support for orchestras: at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government confirmed that from 1 April 2025, the rate of Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) will be set at the generous rate of 45%. From April 2024, qualifying expenditure is expenditure incurred on goods or services that are ‘used or consumed in the UK’, replacing the previous rule that qualifying costs were those incurred on goods and services provided from the UK or EEA.  To ease the transition to the new rule, orchestras with concerts in train on 1 April 2024 were permitted to continue claiming relief on goods and services provided from within the EEA until 31 March 2025. It is appropriate to refocus orchestra tax relief on UK expenditure now that the UK has left the EU. Under the new rule, the relief incentivises activity within the UK, rather than the UK and the EEA. This does not prevent qualifying productions from touring in the EEA (nor elsewhere). As with all tax policy changes, a Tax Information and Impact Note was published in 2023 which can be found here: Administrative changes to the creative industry tax reliefs - GOV.UK.

Whether the Financial Conduct Authority plans to review the methods used by car insurers to determine vehicle valuations in write-off settlements.

I refer the hon member to the answer contained in PQ UIN 56497.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department conducted a Disability Impact Assessment of the Public Switched Telephone Network migration.

The Department has not conducted a Disability Impact Assessment. The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) migration is an industry-led programme and does not result from a government decision.The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks arising from the industry-led migration of the PSTN to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for all customers across the UK. In November 2024, at Government’s behest, all major communication providers agreed additional safeguards to protect vulnerable customers, including for people living with disabilities.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to protect girls and young women from the impact of sexualised AI deepfakes.

Sharing or threatening to share a deepfake intimate image without consent is illegal. Synthetically created content is regulated by the Online Safety Act where it is shared on an in-scope service and is illegal content or content harmful to children. Government is also legislating to ban the non-consensual creation of sexualised deepfakes in the Data (Use and Access) Bill.Where a sexualised deepfake is of a child this is child sexual abuse material and is illegal, and Government has introduced an offence in the Crime and Policing Bill to criminalise AI models optimised to create this content.