David Taylor

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 30 June 2026 in response to Question 11617.

Post Office Ltd is responsible for identifying and supporting suitable operators to deliver Post Office services where branches close. Businesses interested in operating a Post Office branch can access information and guidance through Post Office's recruitment website. Applicants are supported by Post Office through the application process and successful applicants receive free training and support from a dedicated project manager when setting up a branch. Once appointed, operators can access a package of ongoing support from Post Office, including relationship management, specialist advice and guidance resources.

More broadly, local businesses can access support through the Business Growth Service, including business.gov.uk, the Business Support Service, Business Academy and local Growth Hubs, which provide advice, signposting and tailored support to help businesses start, grow and succeed.

The Government recognises the importance of maintaining access to Post Office services for local communities. Post Office Ltd is responsible for the day-to-day management of the network and works to maintain service provision where branches close, including through seeking replacement provision where appropriate. The Government protects access to Post Office services through minimum access criteria, including a requirement that 99% of the UK population live within three miles of a Post Office branch.

The Government recognises the important role that convenience stores and Post Office branches play in supporting local communities and providing access to essential services. Many Post Office branches are co-located with retail premises, including convenience stores, and Government fully appreciates that the closure of such premises can have an impact on local access to services. Government protects access to Post Office services through minimum access criteria, including a requirement that 99% of the UK population live within three miles of a Post Office branch.

Ofgem sets the Quality of Service Guaranteed Standards that must be met by each electricity network company. These standards have been set to a level of service that it is reasonable to expect companies to deliver in all cases. Customers are entitled to compensation if distribution companies fail to meet the service standards required.

The current compensation rules were set in April 2023 for the duration of the current price control for electricity Distribution Network Operators (RIIO-ED2, 1 April 2023 – 31 March 2028).

Ofgem are developing the next five-year price control (RIIO-ED3 running 2028-2033) and will review their compensation arrangements as a part of this process.

My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State and I regularly speak to Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) on a range of issues.

Great Britian has a highly resilient energy system, and when incidents do occur, industry have well practiced plans to minimise impacts as quickly as possible.

All DNOs, including UK Power Networks, are required to report on restoration times during outages, including on their websites, where they offer power outage information.

All DNOs are regulated by the independent regulator, Ofgem, which sets annual targets for customer interruptions and customer minutes lost. Each year DNOs must report their performance against these measures to Ofgem. Ofgem then assesses if targets have been met and rewards or penalises DNOs appropriately.

My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State and I regularly speak to Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) on a range of issues.

Great Britian has a highly resilient energy system, and when incidents do occur, industry have well practiced plans to minimise impacts as quickly as possible.

All DNOs, including UK Power Networks, are required to report on restoration times during outages, including on their websites, where they offer power outage information.

All DNOs are regulated by the independent regulator, Ofgem, which sets annual targets for customer interruptions and customer minutes lost. Each year DNOs must report their performance against these measures to Ofgem. Ofgem then assesses if targets have been met and rewards or penalises DNOs appropriately.

Maintaining the resilience of the energy system is one of Government’s top priorities. We work closely with Ofgem and all Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), such as UKPN, to continually improve and maintain the resilience, preparedness and security of energy infrastructure against risks including severe weather events.

Ofgem regulates DNOs through a price control process. This includes incentives to reduce the frequency and duration of power interruptions, no matter the cause, and to invest in and maintain infrastructure to guarantee minimum standards of service.

Following the Storm Arwen Review, operators have made significant improvements to system resilience during severe weather events.

The Department for Energy and Net Zero does not own any vehicles.

The Government Digital Service supports and incentivises departments to design digital services that are simple and easy to use. The Service Manual provides patterns to help departments design both online services for people with limited digital literacy and offline channels to support users, such as in person support at Post Offices for OneLogin.

The current national curriculum requires pupils to learn about international development in key stage 3 geography, with further detail available to pupils who study GCSE geography. Last year, Professor Becky Francis led an independent review of the national curriculum which made several recommendations. The government is considering these recommendations alongside its ambitions for technical education. Proposals for the new national curriculum will be subject to a public consultation in due course.

Local authorities have been informed of their Best Start Family Hub allocation and the department will publish the 2026/27 revenue and capital allocations for all 153 local authorities in due course.

Details of allocations for Family Hubs from 2022/23 are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-section-31-grant-determination-letters.

We know some families face challenges with education, health and care (EHC) plans, and we understand how urgently they need to be addressed. This government’s priority is improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), ensuring they receive the opportunities and support to achieve and thrive in their education.

The department has been working closely with Hertfordshire local authority since its local area SEND inspection in July 2023 to address areas for improvement. Data from November 2025 shows Hertfordshire is now above the national average on EHC plan timeliness, with 94% of plans issued within deadlines.

We are continuing to engage closely with children and young people, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children and young people get the outcomes and life chances they deserve. We will share more information on plans for reform in a full Schools White Paper in the new year.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. We are committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

All teachers are teachers of SEND, and high-quality teaching is central to ensuring that pupils with SEND are given the best possible opportunity to achieve at school.

Consideration of SEND underpins the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework (CCF) and the Early Career Framework (ECF), both of which were developed with input from sector experts to outline the mandatory training for new teachers. The frameworks have been designed to support all pupils to succeed, including those pupils identified within the four areas of need set out in the SEND code of practice. Headteachers are provided the flexibility to use their professional judgement to identify any further training, including in specific specialisms.

All mainstream schools must have a special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) who must be a qualified teacher, or the head teacher, working at the school. On 1 September 2024, the government introduced a new mandatory leadership level National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for SENCOs. The NPQ will play a key role in improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND by ensuring that SENCOs consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training. This is crucial given the central role SENCOs play in supporting pupils with SEND.

The department’s Universal SEND Services programme offers free SEND-specific continuing professional development for the school and further education workforce. It is delivered by National Association for Special Educational Needs (Nasen). The department works closely with Nasen to ensure the programme supports professionals across all of England. Since the programme commenced in May 2022, school and college staff have completed over 15,500 online training modules.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. We are committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

All teachers are teachers of SEND, and high-quality teaching is central to ensuring that pupils with SEND are given the best possible opportunity to achieve at school.

Consideration of SEND underpins the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework (CCF) and the Early Career Framework (ECF), both of which were developed with input from sector experts to outline the mandatory training for new teachers. The frameworks have been designed to support all pupils to succeed, including those pupils identified within the four areas of need set out in the SEND code of practice. Headteachers are provided the flexibility to use their professional judgement to identify any further training, including in specific specialisms.

All mainstream schools must have a special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) who must be a qualified teacher, or the head teacher, working at the school. On 1 September 2024, the government introduced a new mandatory leadership level National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for SENCOs. The NPQ will play a key role in improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND by ensuring that SENCOs consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training. This is crucial given the central role SENCOs play in supporting pupils with SEND.

The department’s Universal SEND Services programme offers free SEND-specific continuing professional development for the school and further education workforce. It is delivered by National Association for Special Educational Needs (Nasen). The department works closely with Nasen to ensure the programme supports professionals across all of England. Since the programme commenced in May 2022, school and college staff have completed over 15,500 online training modules.

The Government published new Standards of Modern Zoo Practice for Great Britain on 24 May 2025, which will come into force from May 2027. The new Standards contain the very latest in best practice for caring for animals in zoos and aquariums, including penguins, and will replace the 2012 Secretary of State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice.

Local authorities are responsible for licensing zoos and aquariums, enforcing conditions and carrying out inspections to ensure animals are being kept in line with the Standards.

In March 2025, the Government launched the first new National Forest in 30 years, the Western Forest. The forest will see 20 million trees planted across the West of England and create at least 2,500 hectares of new woodland, bringing nature closer to people, helping to prevent flooding, supporting wildlife, and contribute to our nature and legal environment targets.

As the accountable body for the Western Forest, the Forest of Avon Trust is working with the National Forest Company and regional partners, recruiting a strong team to mobilise the project, scoping the most suitable sites for the creation of the forest’s foundations, and raising awareness of the project across the region.

The Environment Agency, through its strategic asset management programme, would be selling 193 commercial vehicle assets before the end of the current financial year.

The granting of weapons and equipment to Ukraine is made in response to official requests made by the Ukrainian Government.

We continue to liaise closely with Ukraine to deliver the capabilities they require to resist Russian aggression.

The UK has provided over 240 armoured and protected mobility vehicles, alongside hundreds of support vehicles to Ukraine this year.

The UK and partners will continue to ensure we equip Ukraine as best we can to defend its sovereign territory and ensure it is in a position of strength for any peace negotiations. This Government has stepped up support for Ukraine, with a record £4.5 billion of support this year alone. The Prime Minister has committed to £3 billion a year of military support for Ukraine for as long as needed.

Natural England has identified that the lack of nest sites is a pressure on certain bird species, including the swift. Therefore, provision of swift bricks may aid recovery alongside other actions, such as to increase food resources.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in December 2024, included several changes designed to enhance and protect the environment. For example, it expects developments to provide net gains for biodiversity, including through incorporating features such as swift bricks which support priority or threatened species. Defra policy officials are also working with MHCLG colleagues to consider what action may be appropriate to drive up rates of swift brick installation in new build properties.

Defra has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact of pesticides on Hertfordshire’s bee population.

Defra funds a monitoring programme providing information about the concentrations of different pesticides in honey collected from beehives across England, and the subsequent risk to honeybees.

Defra partly funds the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS) which generates systematic data on the abundance of bees and other flower-visiting insects at a national scale. Data from PoMS insect surveys contributes to providing an invaluable resource from which to measure trends in pollinator populations and target conservation efforts.

England biodiversity indicators provide data about the relative abundance of wild bees.

These schemes collect data from around the country and have been designed to ensure regional representation, but do not allow assessment of the impact of pesticides on bee populations locally.

Pesticides are only authorised following a thorough scientific risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met. This includes an evaluation of the effect on bees.

Use of the neonicotinoid pesticide Cruiser SB is not allowed on sugar beet in England in 2025 as an application for its emergency use was not approved. This decision underlines the Government’s commitment to protecting pollinators and the wider environment.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact on bus patronage of Hertfordshire County Council’s withdrawal of the Senior SaverCard. Decisions on discretionary local concessionary fare schemes are matters for local authorities, which are best placed to assess local needs, priorities and impacts.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme provides free off-peak bus travel in England to those of State Pension age and those with eligible disabilities. Local authorities may choose to offer discretionary concessions which are more generous than the statutory minimum, including concessions for those aged between 60 and State Pension age. Such schemes can enable authorities to tailor support to their local communities and transport networks, and may encourage bus use. Decisions on whether to introduce or maintain them, and assessments of their effect on bus use, are matters for the relevant authority.

The Government is providing over £3 billion between 2026/27 and 2028/29 to support local leaders and bus operators to maintain and improve bus services and keep fare low, including around £700 million per year through the Local Authority Bus Grant.

Hertfordshire County Council will receive £34.6 million from the Department for Transport under the Local Authority Bus Grant, from 2026/27 until 2028/29 in addition to £12.2 million already received in 2025/26.

The Department has not made an assessment of the adequacy of the national speed limit of 60mph on unlit single-track rural lanes.

On many rural lanes their width and sinuosity lead to speeds that are already far lower than the national limit. Lowering limits does not always result in significantly slower speeds and general compliance would need to be achievable without too heavy a reliance on police enforcement.

Traffic authorities are best placed to decide where lower limits will be effective on the roads for which they are responsible. In doing so, they are asked to consider important factors including the history of collisions, the road function, the composition of road users including vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, and the geometry and environment of the road.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned number plates.

The law requires anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK to be registered with the DVLA. It is a legal requirement for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number and suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied.

The DVLA assists the police and Trading Standards in their enforcement against number plate suppliers, including those who trade illegally. When notified, the DVLA will investigate and pass on intelligence to the police who are responsible for investigating this criminal matter.

Anyone who thinks their number plate may have been cloned should contact the police immediately. Any fines received should be returned to the issuing authorities. The DVLA can provide customers with letters that can be used as supporting evidence and can also on request provide a replacement registration number free of charge, to help victims of number plate cloning. This helps the police to identify the vehicle concerned and prevent the receipt of any fixed penalties for that vehicle registration number.

The specific information requested about the potential impact of this issue on motorists in Hertfordshire is not available.

The Department has not made a specific estimate of the number of vehicles under its jurisdiction that are approaching the end of their operational life. It is also important to note that a proportion of vehicles are leased rather than owned outright, and therefore would not be available for disposal by the Department.

Decisions regarding the disposal or repurposing of vehicles are made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account operational requirements, value for money, and relevant legal and security considerations. At present, there are no plans to assess the potential merits of making such vehicles available to the Ukrainian military. Any such decision would need to be considered in the context of broader cross-government policy on defence support and international assistance.

The government knows that a modern public transport network is vital to keeping communities connected, and ensuring people can commute to work. The government believes that local transport authorities, working with bus operators, are best placed to determine and design local bus networks in their area. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England.

In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Hertfordshire County Council has been allocated £12.2 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce improvements to bus services to best meet the needs of passengers in their local area, including increasing the frequency of bus services.

I thank the honourable Gentlemen for his question. Mr Speaker, as well as building our new Jobs and Careers service, which will help young people in Hertfordshire have access to better opportunities, DWP have now signed a Grant Funding Agreement of up to £19.7 million with Hertfordshire County Council for the delivery of their local Connect to Work programme, which will open for participants - including young people - at the beginning of July.

Most parents pay some or all their maintenance liability without issue however, the Child Maintenance Service is aware of a small number of parents whose maintenance liability is inconsistent with their financial resources, usually because they can choose to support themselves via a complex arrangement of assets instead of, or in addition to, taking a salary.

Cases involving complex income or suspected fraudulent behaviour can be looked into by the FIU. This is a specialist team which can request information from financial institutions to check the accuracy of information the CMS is given.

In the quarter ending September 2024, 300 financial investigation cases were referred to the Financial Investigations Unit (FIU) in addition to 875 ongoing cases from previous quarters. In the same quarter, 340 financial investigations were completed of which 210 resulted in a maintenance assessment change.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) will do everything within its powers to make sure parents comply and has made significant improvements to the process to speed up action when payments first break down and to target enforcement action more effectively.

Where parents fail to take responsibility for paying for their children, the CMS will not hesitate to use the full range of strong enforcement powers available. These include, using Enforcement Agents (previously known as bailiffs) to take control of goods, forcing the sale of property, removal of driving license or UK passport, deductions directly from earnings and bank accounts or even commitment to prison.

8% (£682.1 million) of the total maintenance due to be paid since the CMS began, remains to be collected through Collect & Pay but this is falling.

In the past year to September 2024, the CMS collected £16.8 million from paying parents with civil enforcement actions in process and an additional £5.4 million from paying parents with our most serious enforcement action in process.

In the twelve months to September 2024, there were 2,857 applications to the courts in England, Wales and Scotland for our most serious enforcement powers. Of these the courts issued two immediate prison sentences and 316 suspended prison sentences.

The Government is taking forward digital services to help improve the sharing of patient data, which have the improvement of care and the identification and management of risks as key objectives. The Single Patient Record will bring together a patient’s health information in one, secure, easy-to-access place for use by those delivering care.

The NHS Federated Data Platform connects information across the National Health Service, and can help co-ordinate care, and provide tools to analyse connected data, to identify actions for improvement.

The Government is taking forward digital services to help improve the sharing of patient data, which have the improvement of care and the identification and management of risks as key objectives. The Single Patient Record will bring together a patient’s health information in one, secure, easy-to-access place for use by those delivering care.

The NHS Federated Data Platform connects information across the National Health Service, and can help co-ordinate care, and provide tools to analyse connected data, to identify actions for improvement.

No specific assessment has been made of routine screening for Pelvic Radiation Disease symptoms or of the potential implications of the disease on people who have received cancer treatment. The Hon. Member can find details of the Government’s strategy to support people with ongoing symptoms who have previously had treatment in Chapter 4 of the National Cancer Plan for England, available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-cancer-plan-for-england

No specific assessment has been made of routine screening for Pelvic Radiation Disease symptoms or of the potential implications of the disease on people who have received cancer treatment. The Hon. Member can find details of the Government’s strategy to support people with ongoing symptoms who have previously had treatment in Chapter 4 of the National Cancer Plan for England, available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-cancer-plan-for-england

No specific assessment has been made of routine screening for Pelvic Radiation Disease symptoms or of the potential implications of the disease on people who have received cancer treatment. The Hon. Member can find details of the Government’s strategy to support people with ongoing symptoms who have previously had treatment in Chapter 4 of the National Cancer Plan for England, available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-cancer-plan-for-england