Written questions by Slade.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of (a) the number of people with additional needs awaiting a Specialised Supported Housing home and (b) the estimated cost r of housing people with additional needs in unsuitable accommodation.

In November 2024, my department published independent research on supported housing supply, demand, funding and commissioning across Great Britain – which can be found here. The published research report included coverage of working-age adults with learning disabilities, autistic people, and people with mental health needs. The research estimated that in 2023 there were 53,000 units of supported housing serving working-age adults with a learning disability and/or autism in England, and 19,000 units for working-age adults with mental health needs. The report noted that half of local commissioners surveyed who responded said that there was a lot of or some unmet demand for working-age adults with a learning disability and/or autism, and that almost two-thirds of commissioners thought there was some or a lot of unmet need for supported housing for working-age adults with mental health needs.

How many and what proportion of adults with a learning disability in England have a regular annual health check by a GP.

The Department does not hold data relating to what proportion of adults with a learning disability in England have a regular annual health check with a general practitioner.NHS England is required to offer to all primary medical services contractors the opportunity to enter into arrangements under the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Services (DES) Scheme. Integrated care boards (ICBs), as commissioners of primary care services, are responsible for ensuring that there is sufficient provision of these services to meet the needs of their patient population.As part of the Network Contract DES Learning Disabilities Health Check Scheme, primary services contractors are required to identify registered patients aged 14 years old or over who have learning disabilities and to record this on a learning disabilities register. Contractors are required to offer annual health checks to these patients.

What the life expectancy is of (a) women and (b) men of working age with a learning disability; and how does this compare with the life expectancy of people without a learning disability.

We recognise the unacceptable health inequalities faced by people with a learning disability. We do not have comprehensive data on the life expectancy of people with a learning disability, broken down by gender and age, although we do have crucial insights into life and health outcomes which support service improvements.in July 2025 NHS Digital published data on the mortality and life expectancy of people with a learning disability and autism which showed that people with a learning disability have a life expectancy at birth of 59.5 years old, compared to the general population life expectancy at birth of 81.4 years old, a difference of 21.9 years. These figures are based on data from April 2022 to March 2023, with further information available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/supplementary-information/2025/learning-disabilities-and-autism---mortality-and-life-expectancy-2022-23Significant action is underway to improve access to and the quality of care for people with a learning disability, and to achieve the critical prevention shift set out in our 10-Year Health Plan. This includes mandatory training for health and social care staff, improving identification on the general practice learning disability register and uptake of annual health checks, and rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag to ensure that care is tailored appropriately. The national Core20Plus5 approach also guides action to tackle health inequalities at a system level, and NHS England expects learning disability to be identified as a priority cohort at a local level.Furthermore, each integrated care board (ICB) must have an executive lead for learning disability and autism who will support the board in addressing health inequalities, support access to care across all health services, and improve overall health outcomes.  Each ICB must also consider and demonstrate how they will reduce inequalities for people with a learning disability within their five‑year strategic plans under the Medium-Term Planning Framework. The Medium-Term Planning Framework is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/medium-term-planning-framework-delivering-change-together-2026-27-to-2028-29/

Whether he plans to help increase the uptake of registration on the learning disability register.

Work is currently underway in NHS England to encourage children and young people to join the learning disability register at the age of 14 years old, and to support people who do not have a confirmed learning disability diagnosis to access the register and appropriate services.NHS England has published guidance to support general practitioners (GPs) in identifying people with a learning disability. People with a learning disability are identified using specific codes within a patient record which are then grouped into a ‘code cluster’. Further information on the guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/improving-identification-of-people-with-a-learning-disability-guidance-for-general-practice.pdfThe learning disability register code cluster includes conditions and diagnoses that are highly likely to indicate that a person has a learning disability. Code cluster contents are dynamic and are updated regularly to account for new content. The latest cluster contents can be found in the Primary Care Domain Reference Set Portal, with further information available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-collections-and-data-sets/data-collections/quality-and-outcomes-framework-qof/quality-and-outcome-framework-qof-business-rules/primary-care-domain-reference-set-portalIn addition, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, recently wrote to GPs, emphasising the importance of the learning disability register and providing high quality annual health checks.As part of efforts to monitor uptake, NHS England data shows that, as of October 2025, there were 343,520 people aged 14 years old and over with a learning disability on the learning disability register in England. The following table shows the number of people on the learning disability register in each region of England:RegionRegister size age 14 years old and overLondon46,823South West35,950South East50,528Midlands67,118East of England38,983North West43,676North East and Yorkshire60,442Source: NHS England published data on the Learning Disability Health Check Scheme for October 2025, a copy of which is attached.

What data his Department holds on the length of time spent in detention without trial by defendants charged under the Terrorism Act 2000 for (a) supporting or (b) being a member of Palestine Action.

No-one is being detained under the Terrorism Act 2000 for supporting, or being a member of, Palestine Action.

Whether he has made an assessment of the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee’s recommendation in its Fifth Report of Session 2024–26, Tackling the energy cost crisis, published on 29 October, that Ofgem should introduce an Energy Debt Relief Scheme funded by windfall profits made by energy network companies.

The Government welcomes the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee’s report, following the committee’s inquiry into the cost of energy, and is grateful to the charities, think tanks, energy suppliers, members of the public, and all others who provided evidence to support it. The Government is considering all recommendations set out in the report and will submit our response, which responds to each recommendation in turn, to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee later this month.

If he will make it his policy to review the status of people held on remand in custody for more than six months to determine whether they should be considered for conditional release.

The decision to remand an individual in custody or to grant bail is solely a matter for the independent judiciary acting in accordance with the Bail Act 1976. With limited exceptions, the Bail Act creates a presumption in favour of bail for defendants involved in criminal proceedings. This recognises that a person should not be deprived of his/her liberty unless that is necessary for the protection of the public or the delivery of justice. There is a well-established process that enables remanded prisoners to apply to the court for bail, and we have expanded the Bail Information Service over the last year to provide more support.

What information her Department holds on the number of animals in the UK who are bred for, but not used for, scientific research.

The Home Office does not currently collect statistics on the number of animals in Great Britain that were bred for use in scientific procedures but were killed or died without being used in procedures.Additional statistics were previously collected as required by European Directive 2010/63/EU. In 2017, the Home Office published these additional statistics covering the number of non-genetically altered animals that were bred for scientific procedures but were killed or died without being used in procedures, and the number of animals (genetically altered and non-genetically altered) subject to tissue sampling for the purposes of genotyping.The Home Office is no longer required to collect and release additional statistics. Future publication of this data is under review.

What consideration she has given to the potential benefits for schools of introducing a register of supply teachers, allowing access to available, qualified and DBS checked substitute staff.

The department continues to develop and review policy on supply teaching and currently has no plans to introduce a national supply register for teachers.The mix of models presently available in England, including agencies, direct hire and some local pools, gives schools choice over how they secure supply teachers, how many providers they work with and how they engage with providers to ensure their needs are met.As part of our Maximising Value for Pupils programme, we will introduce a cap on supplier rates on the new Crown Commercial Service framework due in June 2026, and expect schools and trusts to use this new framework unless they are achieving better value for money elsewhere.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that those remanded in custody for more than six months receive access to (a) education, (b) work and (c) mental health support.

The Ministry of Justice is committed to ensuring that individuals held in custody, including those on remand, have access to appropriate rehabilitative, educational, and wellbeing support while in prison.Remand prisoners are eligible to access the core education provision available in prisons. This may include literacy, numeracy, English for Speakers of Other Languages, basic digital skills, and library services. On arrival, all prisoners undergo initial screening for learning needs and receive an individual Learning and Work Plan to support progression. Governors must ensure that education is available to all prisoners who can benefit, in line with Prison Rule 32, and remand prisoners are encouraged to participate in these opportunities. In addition to education, remand prisoners can take part in work related activities where they wish to and where operationally feasible. These activities provide purposeful engagement and help maintain routine and structure during custody.Together with our health partners, we are committed to ensuring that people in prison have access to an equivalent standard, range and quality of health care in prisons to that available in the wider community. This is reflected in the National Partnership Agreement on Health and Social Care in England. All people in prison, including those held on remand, have access to integrated mental health services commissioned by NHS England. This includes access to a range of treatments and interventions within prison as set out in the national service specification for mental health care in prisons.For prisoners with severe mental health needs, the Mental Health Act received Royal Assent earlier this month and contains several flagship reforms to improve access to mental health care and treatment, including, but not limited to, provisions to:Introduce a new statutory 28-day time limit for transfers from prison and other places of detention to hospital to reduce unnecessary delays experienced by prisoners who require mental health treatment.Stop courts temporarily detaining people with severe mental illness in prison as a ‘place of safety’ whilst awaiting a hospital bed for treatment or assessment under the Mental Health Act; andEnd the use of remand for own protection under the Bail Act where the court’s sole concern is the defendant’s mental health.We will implement these reforms as soon as it is safe to do so.

If he will take steps to restore the UK steel rebar importation quota rollover.

On 30 June 2025, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade took the decision to vary the steel safeguard quotas for the final year of the steel safeguard. As recommended by the independent Trade Remedies Authority, this included preventing any unused quarterly quotas from being made available in the following quarter. This decision was taken to ensure the overall effectiveness of the UK’s steel safeguard measure for domestic producers whilst balancing the need for security of supply for the UK market. I am not considering restoring the quota rollover as part of the steel safeguard.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the current steel rebar importation quotas on the growth of the UK steel industry.

The UK applies a steel safeguard measure to protect domestic producers against injury caused by unforeseen surges in imports. The decision in June 2025 to vary the steel safeguard, including category 13 (rebar), was made to ensure the measure continues to effectively protect domestic producers whilst balancing the need for security of supply for the UK market. Steel is a top priority for this Government and is essential for a modern and secure economy, underpinning many sectors which are critical for secure economic growth. The Government is determined to reverse the years of decline and neglect in the steel industry, caused in large part by global excess capacity and market distortions. We will publish our Steel Strategy in early 2026 which will set out an ambitious vision for the sector and a more competitive business landscape.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will introduce mandatory animal welfare labelling on supermarket products in the forthcoming animal welfare strategy.

The Government's animal welfare strategy was published on 22 December 2025 and is available here on GOV.UK. As set out in the strategy, we are committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, we will continue working with relevant stakeholders, including the farming and food industry, scientists and NGOs to explore how improved animal welfare food labelling could provide greater consumer transparency, support farmers and promote better animal welfare.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of junk food advertising on childhood obesity.

As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan for England, we are taking decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. We have implemented United Kingdom-wide restrictions on advertising of less healthy food and drink on television and online which we estimate will remove up to 7.2 billion calories from UK children’s diets each year and deliver health benefits of approximately £2 billion. We have also committed to updating the standards that underpin the advertising and promotions restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink to reflect the latest dietary advice and strengthen the restrictions by more effectively targeting the products of most concern to childhood obesity.An impact assessment on the advertising restrictions of less healthy food and drink on television and online is published on the GOV.UK website.

What steps he is taking to reduce the consumption of junk food by children.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, we are taking decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. As part of this, the Government has announced an ambitious programme aimed at improving the healthiness of the food environment. In December 2024, the Government published the revised National Planning Policy Framework for local government. As part of this, local authorities were given the stronger, clearer powers they have told us they need to block new fast-food outlets near schools.On 1 October 2025, we implemented restrictions on volume price promotions for less healthy food and drinks, such as three for two offers, in stores and their online equivalents and United Kingdom-wide restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food and drink on television and online came into force on 5 January 2026.We have also consulted on banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old and announced changes to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy in the Autumn Budget to deliver greater health benefits to children.We announced in the 10-Year Health Plan that, in a world-first, we will introduce mandatory healthier food sales reporting for large food businesses and set new targets to increase the healthiness of sales. We will also strengthen the existing advertising and promotions restrictions by consulting on applying an updated definition of ‘less healthy food and drink’.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to (a) review and (b) update the Mobile Homes Act 2013.

A review of the effectiveness of the Mobile Homes Act 2013 was undertaken in 2017 and it made a number of recommendations. Most have been implemented, such as the introduction of a fit and proper person test and changes to the pitch fee review inflationary index from the Retail Price Index to the Consumer Price Index. The government has no plans to undertake a further review.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of mobile home occupants on their host community where the former do not have a legal obligation to pay (a) Community Infrastructure Levy or (b) a Section 106 contributions.

My Department has made no such assessment.

Communities and Local Government, what his planned timeline for progression is for areas of England not included in the devolution priority programme.

Decisions on future devolution areas beyond those in the Devolution Priority Programme have not yet been taken, but the Department will continue to engage with local authorities, including any new unitary authorities following local government reorganisation, about possible future devolution agreements. We want to see devolution that is built on strong foundations, with strong unitary structures in place before areas access mayoral devolution. The Government recognises that Mayoral Strategic Authorities are most successful when they are built on a strong history of partnership and joint delivery. Moving forward, we will therefore seek to facilitate the establishment of Foundation Strategic Authorities in areas without a significant history of collaboration, to build local capacity ahead of areas accessing mayoral powers.

Whether telephone bookmakers will be subject to the increase to Remote Gaming Duty to 40% from 1 April 2026.

Telephone bookmakers will be subject to the new General Betting Duty rate of 25% for remote bets from 1 April 2027. This rate will not include telephone bets placed on UK horseracing, pool bets or spread bets.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact on road safety in the UK of her Department’s policy allowing people who obtained their driving license abroad to drive in the UK for 12 months without obtaining a UK driving license from the DVLA.

Foreign visitors to the UK are permitted to drive cars and motorcycles for up to 12 months without needing to exchange their licences or take a test. This system was established in 1909 and has remained in place under all recent governments, including the 2010-2015 coalition. After 12 months, people with licences from designated countries must exchange their licence for a UK equivalent whilst other licence holders must pass a UK test. Information about driving safely in the UK, notably driving on the left, is given to foreign drivers at ports.