Written questions by Forster.

What information his Department hols on the longest time that someone has had to wait to obtain a wheelchair or walker on the NHS.

The information requested is not held centrally. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services, based on the needs of their local population.NHS England supports ICBs to reduce variation in the quality and provision of National Health Service wheelchairs, and to reduce delays in people receiving timely intervention and wheelchair equipment. Since July 2015, NHS England has collected quarterly data from clinical commissioning groups, now ICBs, on wheelchair provision, including waiting times, to enable targeted action if improvement is required. The latest figures from Quarter 2 2025/26 National Wheelchair Data Collection showed that 84% of adults and 78% of children received their equipment within 18 weeks. Further information is avaiable at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhse-national-wheelchair-data-collection/q2-2025-26The Community Health Services Situation Report, which will be used to monitor ICB performance against waiting time targets in 2026/27, currently monitors waiting times for both children and young people, and adults through the Wheelchair, Orthotics, Prosthetics and Equipment line, with further information avaiable at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/community-health-services-waiting-lists/The NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework, published October 2025, requires that, from 2026/27, all ICBs and community health services must actively manage and reduce the proportion of waits across all community health services over 18 weeks and develop a plan to eliminate all 52-week waits.These targets will guide systems to reduce longest waits. Improvement initiatives to meet these targets may affect waits that are over 18-weeks and 52-weeks.

Communities and Local Government, how distances from train stations are calculated for the purposes of a planning application receiving a default yes.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 102319 on 12 January 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what criteria will be used to assess whether a train station is well-connected for the purposes of a planning application receiving a default yes.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 102319 on 12 January 2026.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on special measures for local authorities not meeting statutory requirements for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

The department publishes annual SEN2 data on education, health and care (EHC) plans and assessments, including timeliness. This informs performance monitoring and targeted support. Where a council does not meet its duties, the department can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement, including through issuing improvement notices or statutory directions to drive urgent improvements.The department works with NHS England, to support and intervene in areas of poor performance following inspection.Recent changes to the Area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) framework conducted by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, in consultation with the department and the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, include specifying which member of the partnership should take forward areas for improvement or areas for priority action. This would include areas for improvement and priority action being directed specifically to health where appropriate.We will work together with all stakeholders to understand the impact of any SEND reforms on Area SEND inspections and changes needed as a result of these reforms.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of transport connections at Worplesdon station in Woking constituency.

No assessment has been undertaken, as Worplesdon is a lightly used local station. Passengers tend to use Guildford or Woking stations for wider travel. Under public ownership, Southwestern Railway will be undertaking a complete redesign of its timetable, including services in the Woking area. In the assessment of options, wider economic impacts will be a consideration, alongside other factors such as reducing the net subsidy requirement of the railway, meeting passenger demand and improving operational performance.

What the average waiting time is for someone to obtain a wheelchair or walker on the NHS.

The information requested is not held centrally. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services, based on the needs of their local population.NHS England supports ICBs to reduce variation in the quality and provision of National Health Service wheelchairs, and to reduce delays in people receiving timely intervention and wheelchair equipment. Since July 2015, NHS England has collected quarterly data from clinical commissioning groups, now ICBs, on wheelchair provision, including waiting times, to enable targeted action if improvement is required. The latest figures from Quarter 2 2025/26 National Wheelchair Data Collection showed that 84% of adults and 78% of children received their equipment within 18 weeks. Further information is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhse-national-wheelchair-data-collection/q2-2025-26The Community Health Services Situation Report, which will be used to monitor ICB performance against waiting time targets in 2026/27, currently monitors waiting times for both children and young people, and adults through the Wheelchair, Orthotics, Prosthetics and Equipment line, with further information available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/community-health-services-waiting-lists/The NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework, published October 2025, requires that, from 2026/27, all ICBs and community health services must actively manage and reduce the proportion of waits across all community health services over 18 weeks and develop a plan to eliminate all 52-week waits.These targets will guide systems to reduce longest waits. Improvement initiatives to meet these targets may affect waits that are over 18-weeks and 52-weeks.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure children receive appropriate NHS funded physical health and mental health support while they are waiting for an EHCP.

Health services for children and young people are based on clinical need. Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can access National Health Services, including community services, in the usual way, within the local offer, regardless of whether they have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or are awaiting an EHCP. Any health need over and above the local offer should be accessed via an individual funding request to the integrated care board.Regardless of whether or not a child or young person has an EHCP, a school or other institution has a legal duty under the Children and Families Act 2014 to support children with health conditions, which is outlined in statutory guidance, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3Work is currently underway to stabilise and improve NHS mental health services, but there is much more to do. Through the 10-Year Health Plan we will accelerate the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges to reach full national coverage by 2029. We will boost the capability and capacity of staff so that they can offer more effective support to young people with complex needs, such as trauma, neurodivergence, and disordered eating. As part of this, we will invest £13 million to pilot enhanced training for staff, which will inform future phases of the programme.

If he will consider the potential merits of a dedicated Cadet Forces Day within Armed Forces Week to recognise the cadet force and to provide a national focal point to celebrate achievements and promote volunteering.

The contribution the Cadet Forces make to our communities is significant and being a cadet provides immense value to young people through the numerous benefits that the ‘cadet experience’ offers. The Government is committed to expanding the Cadet Forces and we are very pleased that the Strategic Defence Review recommended a growth in cadet numbers by 30% by 2030. This exciting initiative is backed with an initial investment of £70 million and work is currently underway to establish how and where the 30% increase will be realised. Although the Ministry of Defence Cadet Forces are not technically part of the Armed Forces, they are a part of the wider ‘Defence Family’. Cadets and adult volunteers form a key link with wider society and recognising the Cadet Forces is, therefore, an appealing idea. Cadets already contribute to Armed Forces Week, typically through locally organised activities, and this is something we continue to encourage. Given the aim of significantly increasing the number of cadets and adult volunteers we also see clear merit in raising awareness of the Cadet Forces at a national level and, like my predecessor, I am also supportive of your proposal. We are actively considering how the concept of a Cadet Forces Day can be developed, although I do not have any specific updates to share with you at this time.

Whether HMRC plans to review the national standard mileage rate for business travel, and the basis on which that national standard is set.

The Government keeps the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) and self-employed simplified mileage rates under review and HMRC use a variety of information in estimating typical motoring costs per business mile. This includes information from the AA, the National Travel Survey, the Association of British Insurers, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. As with all taxes and rates, the Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at Budget in the context of public finances.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on pension schemes for NHS England workers.

The abolition of NHS England is not expected to have a significant impact on the overall financing of the NHS Pension Scheme for England and Wales. The NHS Pension scheme is one the largest pension schemes in the United Kingdom, with approximately 1.8 million active members. An actuarial valuation is conducted every four years to ensure the level of contributions made by members and employers meet the full cost of their pension rights as they accrue them. Those accrued pension rights are underwritten by the Exchequer and will be paid in full when a member retires.

What steps his Department is taking to increase funding for local authorities to ensure timely access to vision rehabilitation services for people with sight loss, including residents in Woking.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing individuals’ care and support needs, including sight loss and, where eligible, for meeting those needs. Where individuals do not meet the eligibility threshold, they can get support from their local authorities in making their own arrangements for care services, as set out in the Care Act 2014.The Government is making around £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care, which includes vision rehabilitation, in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements. This includes additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the National Health Service contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with the Department’s Spending Review settlement.The provisional Local Government Finance Settlement confirms the Government’s plans to simplify adult social care funding to give local government more flexibility, and to redistribute it to where it is needed most. This will enable local authorities to deliver the Government’s priorities for adult social care within a more flexible funding system and give councils greater discretion over how to use funding to respond to local needs, including for vision rehabilitation.

Whether her Department plans to review the maintenance of sanctioned assets where deterioration may affect (a) public and (b) heritage value.

Where a designated person (DP) owns or controls economic resources, such as property, those resources are subject to an asset freeze. Where appropriate, OFSI may issue either a general or specific licence on behalf of HM Treasury to permit activity that would otherwise be prohibited by an asset freeze. This includes to enable payments for the routine holding and maintenance of properties owned by designated persons in order to prevent their deterioration. However, while a licence permits such payments, it does not compel the designated person to undertake the work. Therefore, even if OFSI issues a licence, maintenance or repairs will only take place if the designated person is willing to carry them out.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to review sanctions on Russian assets: and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation licensing rules to require owners to maintain sanctioned properties.

We keep our sanctions powers, regimes, designations and measures under review to respond to new developments and changing circumstances.The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) may issue general or specific licences on behalf of His Majesty's Treasury to allow activities otherwise prohibited by an asset freeze, such as payments for existing obligations or property maintenance. However, a licence only permits these actions - it does not require the designated person to carry them out. Maintenance or repairs will occur only if they choose to do so.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease; and what support the NHS provides to people with Motor Neurone Disease in southern England.

NHS England does not commission services from the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Funding for the centre is provided by the Leeds Hospital charity service. Therefore, neither NHS England, nor the Department, have made an assessment of the effectiveness of the centre.NHS England commissions specialised services for neurology, which includes MND. There are 27 specialised neurology centres in England, eight of which are in London, three of which are in the south-east, and two of which are in the south-west.In August 2025, NHS England published a revised service specification for specialised adult neurology services. It outlines a number of minimum service requirements for key specialties, including neuromuscular disorders like MND, and is avaiable at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/specialised-neurology-services-adults-service-specification-august-2025.pdfThere are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with MND, including the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit. NHS England has also established a Neurology Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme, which has developed a new model of integrated care to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including those with MND.

How much South Western Railway has spent on external consultants since May 2025.

Expenditure on external consultants is a matter for train companies to manage. The Department has agreed challenging budget targets with every train operating company, including South Western Railway, and officials discuss spending against these budgets on a regular basis. Expenditure on specific contracts cannot be shared as it is commercially sensitive.

How much South Western Railway has spent on KPMG’s services to develop a business case for the infrastructure investment.

Expenditure on external consultants is a matter for train companies to manage. The Department has agreed challenging budget targets with every train operating company, including South Western Railway, and officials discuss spending against these budgets on a regular basis. Expenditure on specific contracts cannot be shared as it is commercially sensitive.

What assessment she has made of the potential economic impact of improving transport connections from Woking.

Under public ownership, South Western Railway will be undertaking a complete redesign of their timetable which will include reviewing connections from Woking. In the assessment of options, wider economic impacts will be a consideration, alongside other factors such as reducing the net subsidy requirement of the railway, meeting passenger demand and improving operational performance.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking tackle developers who bank land instead of building homes, such as the 2,000 new homes with planning permission in Woking where construction has not started.

In May 2025, the government published a Planning Reform Working Paper: Speeding Up Build Out inviting views on further action the government should take to speed up homes being built. It can be found on gov.uk here. On the same day, we launched a technical consultation on implementing measures to improve the transparency of build rates from new residential developments, which includes proposals to implement provisions in Section 113 of the LURA on the power to decline to determine applications. That consultation can be found on gov.uk here. We are now analysing the responses to both consultations, and we will set out our next steps in due course. The government is currently consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including new policy designed to ensure major development proposals are capable of being implemented within a reasonable period – taking into account tenure mix, local market conditions and development history of the site.

Given the forthcoming report of the Cranston Public Inquiry into the tragic loss of 27 lives in the English Channel in November 2021, has she undertaken a review of Channel small boat search and rescue operations and the capability provided by UK Border Force.

The Cranston Public Inquiry will shortly be publishing its report into the tragic loss of 27 lives in the English Channel in November 2021. Operational risks are assessed daily by the joint HM Coastguard and UK Border Security Command teams tasked with the delivery of small boat SAR. The capability that the Home Office provides through UK Border Force is an essential and welcome addition to the small boat SAR response network.

How many trains were (a) cancelled and (b) delayed on the South Western Railway network in August 2025.

Information on train cancellations and punctuality is published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). The relevant links are below.https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3124-trains-planned-and-cancellations-by-operator-periodic/https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3123-trains-planned-and-cancellations-by-operator-and-cause/https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3138-train-punctuality-at-recorded-station-stops-by-operator-periodic/https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3133-train-punctuality-at-recorded-station-stops-by-operator/