Helen Morgan

In addition to updating existing best practice guidance documents for insulation measures, the Department is working with industry to publish a best practice guide for park homes insulation. A date for publication of the park homes guide will be confirmed in due course.

While an estimate has not been undertaken by the Government of the lifespan of park homes, the Government supports park home residents in the transition to net zero through the Homes Upgrade Grant, Energy Company Obligation and Great British Insulation Scheme.

ECO4 is the latest iteration of the Energy Company Obligation scheme which installs energy efficiency measures in households within Great Britain only.

Over the 12 months to the end of June 2023 (the latest available data by parliamentary constituency), there were around 143,500 ECO4 measures installed in Great Britain and 242 measures installed in North Shropshire constituency.

Over this period, the number of ECO4 installations has generally increased in both Great Britain and North Shropshire constituency.

ECO4 is the latest iteration of the Energy Company Obligation scheme which installs energy efficiency measures in households within Great Britain only.

Over the 12 months to the end of June 2023 (the latest available data by parliamentary constituency), there were around 143,500 ECO4 measures installed in Great Britain and 242 measures installed in North Shropshire constituency.

Over this period, the number of ECO4 installations has generally increased in both Great Britain and North Shropshire constituency.

The most recent published data for applications for the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) Scheme in Great Britain can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support-scheme-alternative-fund-gb-ni-and-alternative-fuel-payment-alternative-fund-applications-made-by-customers.

The proportion of refusals of applications to the Alternative Fuels Payment Scheme that were later overturned is information that is not held centrally and providing that information would incur disproportionate cost.

The most recent published data for applications for the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) Scheme in Great Britain can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support-scheme-alternative-fund-gb-ni-and-alternative-fuel-payment-alternative-fund-applications-made-by-customers.

The proportion of refusals of applications to the Alternative Fuels Payment Scheme that were later overturned is information that is not held centrally and providing that information would incur disproportionate cost.

The most recent published data for applications for the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) Scheme in Great Britain can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support-scheme-alternative-fund-gb-ni-and-alternative-fuel-payment-alternative-fund-applications-made-by-customers.

The proportion of refusals of applications to the Alternative Fuels Payment Scheme that were later overturned is information that is not held centrally and providing that information would incur disproportionate cost.

The most recent published data for applications for the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) Scheme in Great Britain can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support-scheme-alternative-fund-gb-ni-and-alternative-fuel-payment-alternative-fund-applications-made-by-customers.

The proportion of refusals of applications to the Alternative Fuels Payment Scheme that were later overturned is information that is not held centrally and providing that information would incur disproportionate cost.

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), launched in 2020, will upgrade a significant amount of the social housing stock below EPC C up to that standard, delivering warm, energy-efficient homes, reducing carbon emissions and fuel bills, tackling fuel poverty, and supporting green jobs. Total committed funding for the SHDF and associated demonstrator is just over £1bn.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 20 July 2023 to questions 194610, 194611, 194612 and 194613.

The Government is committed to expanding electricity network capacity to accommodate new clean sources of electricity generation and demand, as set out jointly with Ofgem in the Electricity Networks Strategic Framework.

Across Great Britain, Ofgem has already accelerated £20bn of strategic transmission projects to support the government’s 2030 renewables ambition and has allowed £22.2bn for local distribution networks to expand capacity ready for low-carbon technology growth.

The government does not hold data by constituency but Scottish Power Energy Networks, the Distribution Network Operator that covers North Shropshire, has been allowed nearly £3bn to maintain and upgrade its areas between 2023-28.

Support to upgrade the energy performance of social homes is provided through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, Energy Company Obligation, Local Authority Delivery and Home Upgrade Grant.

There have been no installations of heat pumps or biomass boilers in social housing under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme as these properties are not eligible.

In relation to question 194284, providing this information would exceed the threshold and incur a disproportionate cost to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

For questions 194278 and 194281, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 20 July 2023 to questions 194610, 194611, 194612 and 194613.

In relation to question 194284, providing this information would exceed the threshold and incur a disproportionate cost to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

For questions 194278 and 194281, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 20 July 2023 to questions 194610, 194611, 194612 and 194613.

In relation to question 194284, providing this information would exceed the threshold and incur a disproportionate cost to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

For questions 194278 and 194281, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 20 July 2023 to questions 194610, 194611, 194612 and 194613.

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), launched in 2020, will upgrade a significant amount of the social housing stock below EPC C up to that standard, delivering warm, energy-efficient homes, reducing carbon emissions and fuel bills, tackling fuel poverty, and supporting green jobs. Total committed funding for the SHDF and associated demonstrator is just over £1bn.

Low carbon heating technologies compatible with the Standard Assessment Procedure may be installed under the scheme.

As part of the 2021 Heat and Buildings Strategy, the Government committed to consider setting a new regulatory standard of EPC C for the social rented sector.

The Department does not hold specific information on the total number of clean heat installations in social housing.

The Government ‘Help to Heat’ schemes: Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) support the installation of clean heat in social housing. Please see the gov.uk website for statistics on these schemes: SHDF, ECO, HUG.

Businesses have already benefitted from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme which ended on 31 March and provided £7.4 billion of support.

Businesses will continue to get a discount on energy bills under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme, from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024. Eligible businesses who have a contract with a licensed energy supplier will see a unit discount of up to £6.97/MWh automatically applied to their gas bill and up to £19.61/MWh to their electricity bill. This will be subject to a wholesale price threshold of £107/MWh for gas and £302/MWh for electricity. A higher level of support will be provided to businesses in sectors identified as being the most energy and trade intensive – predominately manufacturing industries.

On March 2nd 2023, the Government announced a £5m Heat Training Grant to support trainees in England undertaking training relevant to heat pumps and heat networks. This is expected to support 10,000 training opportunities up to 2025.

The training grant comes in addition to the £15m the Government has already committed since 2020 to develop skills in the energy efficiency and low carbon heating sectors.

Training providers are not required to report to Government when they offer heat pump training. Industry groups are confident there is enough training capacity to meet demand for heat pump upskilling as heat pump deployment increases to meet the target of 600,000 installations per year by 2028.

Since 2020, the Government has provided funding to support nearly 9,000 training opportunities for low carbon heating. In March 2023, the Government announced a further £5m Heat Training Grant to support training relevant to heat pumps and heat networks. This funding is expected to support 10,000 training opportunities up to 2025.

The Government does not hold information on the number of hybrid heat pumps sold in each of the last three years.

However, according to Delta EE’s report ‘UK Heating market report 2021’, 1,400 hybrids were sold in the UK in 2021.

The Government is providing funding through the ‘Help to Heat’ schemes, including the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which provides £5,000 grants for an air-source heat pump, in addition to the 0% rate of VAT on this technology.

These schemes are part of a comprehensive package to grow the heat pump market and work with industry to reduce costs to consumers, which also includes targeted regulation and steps to support supply chains, such as the Heat Training Grant for installers and Heat Pump Manufacturing Investment Accelerator Competition. Further details are in Powering Up Britain (2023) and the Heat and Buildings Strategy (2021).

The Government's target remains to install 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028 and it is putting in place an ambitious package of policies to achieve this.

From 2008 to the end of March 2023, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme Installations Database shows that 187,651 heat pump installations were registered. The number of heat pump installations in the 12 months to the end of March 2023 was 28,018. However, heat pumps installed without Government funding support and those in new buildings are not typically recorded in the database, with industry sources suggesting installations in new homes could make up a significant proportion of overall heat pump deployment.

An estimated 90 per cent of British homes have sufficient energy efficiency and electrical connections to be heated with a low temperature heat pump (operating with a flow temperature at 45°C). Other considerations, such as having sufficient space for the outdoor unit and compliance with planning requirements, must also be considered. For buildings that are not suitable for a low temperature heat pump, alternative low carbon heating technologies, including biomass and high temperature heat pumps (with flow temperatures above 45°C), are available. Government policy supports the installation of these technologies where appropriate.

The Low Carbon Heating Technician apprenticeship is in development. It is anticipated that this apprenticeship will be ready for delivery by September 2023.

An alternative option for apprentices looking to enter the heating sector is the Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician apprenticeship. 3,780 individuals started this apprenticeship in the 2021/2022 academic year. 2,400 individuals started this apprenticeship in the first two quarters of the 2022/2023 academic year (August - January). Data regarding apprenticeships is published by the Department for Education.

In 2020, the Government published research that showed around 30 per cent of the heat pumps installed domestically were manufactured in the UK. This research did not consider the proportion of those heat pumps that contain microchips manufactured in China.

Industry data shows that manufacturers from several different countries supply electronic circuit boards and semiconductors to the UK consumer appliance market. The supply chain is not reliant on manufacturers from any one country.

The Government does not hold the above information for 2021 and 2022.

Interim performance data from the Government-funded Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project was published by the Energy Systems Catapult in March 2023 and is available to download from their website at https://es.catapult.org.uk/news/heat-pumps-shown-to-be-three-times-more-efficient-than-gas-boilers/.

The Government expects the final performance data to be published after the project concludes, in summer 2024.

Any improvements from the SRN programme in North Shropshire will come from the industry-led element of the programme and as such DSIT are unable to provide any details on the precise location or number of new or upgraded masts that may be delivered specifically in North Shropshire as a result of the SRN.

We can confirm that the MNOs have said publicly that they have deployed more than 150 new masts and over 1500 upgraded masts across the UK as part of the industry-led element of the SRN.

With industry, we are investing £1 billion in the Shared Rural Network (SRN) to extend 4G coverage to 95% of the UK landmass by the end of 2025. The UK will see coverage improvements to partial not-spots, areas where there is coverage from at least one but not all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), and to total not-spots, where there is no coverage from any operator.

The SRN programme is also regulated by Ofcom, with regular reporting throughout the life of the programme to ensure agreed obligations and targets are met.

Any improvements from the SRN programme in North Shropshire will come from the industry-led element of the programme and as such DSIT are unable to provide any details on the precise location or number of new or upgraded masts that may be delivered specifically in North Shropshire as a result of the SRN.

The Government announced a new six-month scheme – the Energy Price Guarantee for Businesses (EPGB) – to protect all businesses and other non-domestic energy users from soaring energy costs. It will offer comparable support to that being provided for consumers and more details will follow shortly. After this initial six-month scheme, the Government will provide focused support for vulnerable sectors, targeted to make sure those most in need get support.

The Government is also providing a 50% business rates relief for businesses across the UK and reducing employer national insurance.

The Government is committed to maintaining high levels of energy resilience as the sector decarbonises. Great Britain has one of the most robust energy systems in the world, however, risks from climate-related hazards will become more common as dependence on electricity grows and the variability of its weather increases.

The Government is working with the industry to continually improve and maintain the resilience of old and new energy infrastructure, networks and assets, to reduce vulnerabilities, and ensure an effective response to actual or potentially disruptive incidents- taking into account future system changes and climate change risks

The Government is committed to maintaining high levels of energy resilience as the sector decarbonises. Great Britain has one of the most robust energy systems in the world, however, risks from climate-related hazards will become more common as dependence on electricity grows and the variability of its weather increases.

The Government is working with the industry to continually improve and maintain the resilience of old and new energy infrastructure, networks and assets, to reduce vulnerabilities, and ensure an effective response to actual or potentially disruptive incidents- taking into account future system changes and climate change risks

The Government and Ofgem jointly published an Electricity Networks Strategic Framework on 4 August 2022, which sets out a vision for the transformation of the electricity network as decarbonise and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Network regulation, including ensuring that the rural electricity network has sufficient capacity to meet demand is a matter for Ofgem. The Government engages regularly with Ofgem and electricity network operators to discuss their plans to support connections of low carbon technologies, including heat pumps for off-grid properties.

The Government and Ofgem jointly published an Electricity Networks Strategic Framework on 4 August 2022, which sets out a vision for the transformation of the electricity network as decarbonise and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Network regulation, including ensuring that the rural electricity network has sufficient capacity to meet demand is a matter for Ofgem. The Government engages regularly with Ofgem and electricity network operators to discuss their plans to support connections of low carbon technologies, including heat pumps for off-grid properties.

Since the start of the pandemic, the Government has delivered an unprecedented package of support for businesses. Nearly £27 billion has been allocated to Business Support Grants in England, including over £700 million announced in December for businesses most impacted by the Omicron variant.

The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG) scheme supports businesses in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors. The third top-up to the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) discretionary scheme provides support for other businesses. Shropshire Council has been allocated £5,856,507 in OHLG funding, and £667,495 in further ARG funding. This brings the total ARG funding package for Shropshire to £12,766,827

All data on Government allocations and Local Authority payments is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses.

Second generation smart meters use a dedicated national smart metering communications network, which deploys a variety of technologies to deliver connectivity to premises. These include cellular mobile technology, wireless mesh radio, and long-range radio.

The number of teachers remains high, with over 465,500 Full Time Equivalent teachers working in state funded schools across the country, including more rural parts of England. This is 24,000 more than in 2010.

The Department recognises there is more to do to ensure teaching remains an attractive, high status profession, and to recruit and retain teachers in key subjects. Reforms are aimed not only at increasing teacher recruitment through an attractive pay offer and financial incentives such as bursaries, but also at ensuring teachers stay and succeed in the profession.

The Department is making £181 million available in bursaries and scholarships to attract trainee teachers in high priority subjects for academic year 2023/24. This is a £52 million increase on the current academic year. As graduates in science technology, engineering, and mathematics attract the highest salaries outside teaching, the Department is offering a £27,000 tax-free bursary or a £29,000 tax-free scholarship in chemistry, computing, mathematics, and physics. The Department is also offering a £20,000 tax-free bursary in design and technology.​

The Department also offers a Levelling Up Premium worth up to £3,000 annually for mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who work in disadvantaged schools across England, including in rural areas and Education Investment Areas (EIAs). This will support recruitment and retention of specialist teachers in the subjects and in the schools and areas that need them most. ​ ​

To make teaching here even more attractive to the best teachers from around the world, the Department plans to introduce a new relocation premium for overseas nationals coming here to train or teach languages and physics. This will help with visas and other expenses. The Department will also extend bursary and scholarship eligibility to international trainees in physics and languages.

The Department launched its new digital service, ‘Apply for teacher training’, in autumn 2021 to make it easier for people across the country to train to become teachers, particularly in shortage subjects.

In autumn 2022, the Department expanded the ‘Engineers Teach Physics’ initial teacher training programme with a national rollout. This course has been designed to support more engineers and material scientists to train to become physics teachers. The Department is working closely with sector experts, representative bodies and academic institutions such as the Institute of Physics, Engineering UK, University of Birmingham and the Gatsby Institute to ensure that the course reflects best practice and includes the most up to date industry knowledge.

These initiatives all support the work of the Department in creating a world-class teacher development system by transforming the support teachers and school leaders receive at every stage of their career. This begins with initial teacher training through to an Early Careers Framework based induction for early career teachers, and specialist and leadership National Professional Qualifications for more experienced teachers.

The number of teachers remains high, with over 465,500 Full Time Equivalent teachers working in state funded schools across the country, including more rural parts of England. This is 24,000 more than in 2010.

The Department recognises there is more to do to ensure teaching remains an attractive, high status profession, and to recruit and retain teachers in key subjects. Reforms are aimed not only at increasing teacher recruitment through an attractive pay offer and financial incentives such as bursaries, but also at ensuring teachers stay and succeed in the profession.

The Department is making £181 million available in bursaries and scholarships to attract trainee teachers in high priority subjects for academic year 2023/24. This is a £52 million increase on the current academic year. As graduates in science technology, engineering, and mathematics attract the highest salaries outside teaching, the Department is offering a £27,000 tax-free bursary or a £29,000 tax-free scholarship in chemistry, computing, mathematics, and physics. The Department is also offering a £20,000 tax-free bursary in design and technology.​

The Department also offers a Levelling Up Premium worth up to £3,000 annually for mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who work in disadvantaged schools across England, including in rural areas and Education Investment Areas (EIAs). This will support recruitment and retention of specialist teachers in the subjects and in the schools and areas that need them most. ​ ​

To make teaching here even more attractive to the best teachers from around the world, the Department plans to introduce a new relocation premium for overseas nationals coming here to train or teach languages and physics. This will help with visas and other expenses. The Department will also extend bursary and scholarship eligibility to international trainees in physics and languages.

The Department launched its new digital service, ‘Apply for teacher training’, in autumn 2021 to make it easier for people across the country to train to become teachers, particularly in shortage subjects.

In autumn 2022, the Department expanded the ‘Engineers Teach Physics’ initial teacher training programme with a national rollout. This course has been designed to support more engineers and material scientists to train to become physics teachers. The Department is working closely with sector experts, representative bodies and academic institutions such as the Institute of Physics, Engineering UK, University of Birmingham and the Gatsby Institute to ensure that the course reflects best practice and includes the most up to date industry knowledge.

These initiatives all support the work of the Department in creating a world-class teacher development system by transforming the support teachers and school leaders receive at every stage of their career. This begins with initial teacher training through to an Early Careers Framework based induction for early career teachers, and specialist and leadership National Professional Qualifications for more experienced teachers.

Schools are free to recruit supply teachers and most use supply agencies. Agencies are required to undertake the same rigorous checks as schools when recruiting staff. The Department has set out these requirements in the Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022 statutory guidance, which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1101454/Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2022.pdf. The Government has a commercial framework which schools can use to recruit supply teachers and 118 agencies have registered.

All agencies on the framework are accredited by an approved accreditation body which audits them on an annual basis. All agencies that do business through the framework must be transparent about the fees they charge to schools and waive some additional fees. The Department recommends that schools consider using preferred suppliers to meet their staffing needs.

In addition, supply teachers have statutory rights, including entitlement to equal treatment after 12 weeks as someone doing the same role and employed directly, statutory entitlement to holiday pay, employment rights (such as the national minimum wages and sick pay), and access to workplace pensions.

Schools are free to recruit supply teachers, and most schools use supply agencies. The Department has a commercial framework which schools can use to recruit supply teachers, and 118 supply agencies have registered.

All agencies on the framework must be transparent about the fees they charge to schools and waive some additional fees.

In addition, supply teachers have a number of statutory rights, including entitlement to equal treatment as someone doing the same role and employed directly after 12 weeks, statutory entitlement to holiday pay, employment rights (such as the national minimum wages and sick pay), and access to workplace pensions.

This data has been taken from Get Information About Schools, the department’s register of schools[1]. The data includes all types of mainstream local authority maintained schools, academies, and free schools. Schools are identified as rural via the Office of National Statistics Rural Urban Classification. The data excludes closures of schools where they become an academy as a result of intervention following an Inadequate Ofsted judgement or acquire a new Unique Reference Number on transfer between trusts.

The presumption against the closure of rural primary schools means that when considering proposals to close a rural local authority maintained primary school, decision makers must refer to the list of rural designated schools. For a rural academy, both the department and the local authority need to agree to the closure.

The national funding formula (NFF) recognises the essential role that small, rural schools play in their communities through additional support provided through the sparsity factor. As a result of the changes to the design sparsity factor for the 2022/23 financial year, the total number of schools eligible for sparsity funding through the NFF has increased from over 1,200 to over 2,500, and the total allocation to small, remote schools through the sparsity factor has more than doubled, from £42 million in the 2021/22 financial year to £95 million in the 2022/23 financial year.

[1] Responsibility for updating Get Information about Schools is shared between the department, schools, and local authorities and therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data.

This data has been taken from Get Information about Schools, the department’s register of schools[1]. The data shows all types of mainstream local authority maintained schools, academies, and free schools. The attached pdf document shows all parliamentary constituencies where a school has closed between 2018 and 2021, with the number per year provided for each.

The data excludes closures of schools where they become an academy as a result of intervention following an inadequate Ofsted judgement, or acquire a new unique reference number on transfer between trusts.

Constituencies not shown have 0 closures between 2018 and 2021.

There are a variety of reasons for closing a school. These include where there are surplus places elsewhere in the local area, where provision has been rationalised, for example where an infant and a junior school have been amalgamated to form a primary school, or if a school is no longer financially viable.

The table below shows the numbers of schools that have opened between 2018 and 2021.

[1] Responsibility for updating GIAS is shared between the department, schools, and local authorities and therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data.

This data has been taken from Get Information about Schools, the department’s register of schools[1]. The data shows all types of mainstream local authority-maintained schools, academies, and free schools. The data excludes closures of schools where they become an academy as a result of intervention following an inadequate Ofsted judgement or acquire a new unique reference number on transfer between trusts.

There are a variety of reasons for closing a school. These include where there are surplus places elsewhere in the local area, where provision has been rationalised, for example where an infant and a junior school have been amalgamated to form a primary school, or if a school is no longer financially viable.

The table below shows the numbers of schools that have opened between 2018 and 2021.

[1] Responsibility for updating GIAS is shared between the department, schools, and local authorities and therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data.

Exams and other formal assessments are the best way of judging students’ performance. By sitting exams, students have a fair chance to show their knowledge and understanding of a subject. The government is fully committed to exams going ahead this summer and does not expect that to change, except in the very unlikely case of a public health emergency which would prevent students being able to physically sit exams.

If a student due to take their exams has tested positive for COVID-19 or is unwell with relevant symptoms, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidance is clear that they should stay at home. The guidance is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/people-with-symptoms-of-a-respiratory-infection-including-covid-19#what-to-do-if-you-have-a-positive-covid-19-test-result. They should not attend examinations for the time-period recommended by UKHSA. This is 3 days for children and young people who are 18 years old and under, or 5 days for adults 19 and over. UKHSA guidance covers what to do if someone has symptoms of a respiratory infection at the end of this period.

If someone is staying at home in line with UKHSA guidance, they are considered to have an acceptable reason for absence for the special consideration process. Their centre will provide them with a self-certification form which they or their parent/carer/guardian should complete. Provided they meet the criteria for special consideration, their grade can then be calculated based on the exams and assessments they have already completed, and the exams they complete once they recover.

To address the risk of students missing all their exams, the exam boards have spaced out the exam timetable so that there are at least ten days between the first and last exam, with most subjects having more than 10 days and some quite substantially more. Exceptionally for this year, the Joint Council for Qualifications has confirmed that eligible students can access the special consideration process where they complete at least one whole component within the specification, rather than the usual requirement to cover at least 25% of the total assessment.

In all cases, students, teachers, and schools should adhere to the guidance on living with COVID-19 and candidates are expected to attend their exams wherever possible, and school and college staff should encourage them to do so.

Exams and other formal assessments are the best way of judging students’ performance. By sitting exams, students have a fair chance to show their knowledge and understanding of a subject. The government is fully committed to exams going ahead this summer and does not expect that to change, except in the very unlikely case of a public health emergency which would prevent students being able to physically sit exams.

If a student due to take their exams has tested positive for COVID-19 or is unwell with relevant symptoms, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidance is clear that they should stay at home. The guidance is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/people-with-symptoms-of-a-respiratory-infection-including-covid-19#what-to-do-if-you-have-a-positive-covid-19-test-result. They should not attend examinations for the time-period recommended by UKHSA. This is 3 days for children and young people who are 18 years old and under, or 5 days for adults 19 and over. UKHSA guidance covers what to do if someone has symptoms of a respiratory infection at the end of this period.

If someone is staying at home in line with UKHSA guidance, they are considered to have an acceptable reason for absence for the special consideration process. Their centre will provide them with a self-certification form which they or their parent/carer/guardian should complete. Provided they meet the criteria for special consideration, their grade can then be calculated based on the exams and assessments they have already completed, and the exams they complete once they recover.

To address the risk of students missing all their exams, the exam boards have spaced out the exam timetable so that there are at least ten days between the first and last exam, with most subjects having more than 10 days and some quite substantially more. Exceptionally for this year, the Joint Council for Qualifications has confirmed that eligible students can access the special consideration process where they complete at least one whole component within the specification, rather than the usual requirement to cover at least 25% of the total assessment.

In all cases, students, teachers, and schools should adhere to the guidance on living with COVID-19 and candidates are expected to attend their exams wherever possible, and school and college staff should encourage them to do so.

The Secretary of State has regular meetings with counterparts in the Devolved Administrations to discuss a range of issues.

There have been no imports of eggs from CPTPP members to the UK since 2015. Global trade flows on shell eggs remain minimal as it is not practical to trade shell eggs over long distances.

The full Impact Assessment for the UK's accession to CPTPP will be published by the Department for Business and Trade in due course.

The parallel trade arrangements set out in EU legislation were based on information sharing between the Member States. Parallel trade permits that were in place when the UK left the EU have been continued for a time. Defra is aware that sales of these parallel products end on 30 June 2023, and the final date for use is 30 June 2024. The Secretary of State is committed to supporting farmers with appropriate use of plant protection products, within the context of securing a thriving, environmentally sustainable farming sector. Defra is aware of farmer concerns about parallel trade permits and, together with the Health and Safety Executive, we are monitoring the situation.

The parallel trade arrangements set out in EU legislation were based on information sharing between the Member States. Parallel trade permits that were in place when the UK left the EU have been continued for a time. Defra is aware that sales of these parallel products end on 30 June 2023, and the final date for use is 30 June 2024. The Secretary of State is committed to supporting farmers with appropriate use of plant protection products, within the context of securing a thriving, environmentally sustainable farming sector. Defra is aware of farmer concerns about parallel trade permits and, together with the Health and Safety Executive, we are monitoring the situation.

The parallel trade arrangements set out in EU legislation were based on information sharing between the Member States. Parallel trade permits that were in place when the UK left the EU have been continued for a time. Defra is aware that sales of these parallel products end on 30 June 2023, and the final date for use is 30 June 2024. The Secretary of State is committed to supporting farmers with appropriate use of plant protection products, within the context of securing a thriving, environmentally sustainable farming sector. Defra is aware of farmer concerns about parallel trade permits and, together with the Health and Safety Executive, we are monitoring the situation.

The parallel trade arrangements set out in EU legislation were based on information sharing between the Member States. Parallel trade permits that were in place when the UK left the EU have been continued for a time. Defra is aware that sales of these parallel products end on 30 June 2023, and the final date for use is 30 June 2024. The Secretary of State is committed to supporting farmers with appropriate use of plant protection products, within the context of securing a thriving, environmentally sustainable farming sector. Defra is aware of farmer concerns about parallel trade permits and, together with the Health and Safety Executive, we are monitoring the situation.

The Environment Agency’s Severn Valley Water Management Scheme (SVWMS) project team will be presenting at the next Shropshire Association of Local Councils meeting. They are also due to engage with the Shropshire Flood Action Group Forum – a forum which consists of members from across a number of local flood action groups - that has been set up with the support of the National Flood Forum. The Environment Agency’s project team will update Parish Councils and flood action groups on the long-term strategy development for the Upper Severn catchment and how support can be provided to build community resilience over the coming months. The Environment Agency already hosts a dedicated SVWMS Citizen Space page, which is regularly updated with all the latest information regarding the scheme’s progress and includes information such as community engagement dates, and can be accessed here: Severn Valley Water Management Scheme - Environment Agency - Citizen Space (environment-agency.gov.uk)

As the above discussions progress, the Environment Agency will undertake a more comprehensive programme of engagement with local communities across the Upper Severn catchment. Details of this next stage of engagement will be released in due course and will appear on the Citizen Space page.

The Severn Valley Water Management Scheme is being developed by the Environment Agency and the River Severn Partnership. Engaging with partners on both sides of the English/Welsh border, an initial plan of potential interventions has been created that would make a significant difference to community resilience along the upper Severn catchment. This plan outlines possible approaches to effective water management across the Upper Severn catchment using a hybrid of formal engineered solutions, natural flood management, and land use change. The basis of funding and delivery is complex, and partners have a key role to play to co-create and deliver solutions on the ground, to access funding sources that will enable delivery, and to help the Environment Agency to engage with communities and businesses across the catchment. This critical engagement work will begin later this year which will help develop the plan further. To deliver an effective intervention plan, the input and support of authorities within Wales will greatly assist, and the Environment Agency is currently undertaking discussions, facilitated by Defra, with Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales.

We are transitioning away from intensive badger culling towards widescale badger vaccination. 2022 was the last year that new Intensive Cull areas were licensed. Supplementary Badger Culling (SBC) is limited to a maximum of two years and the issuing of SBC licences for previously licensed areas or areas licensed for Badger Disease Control after 2020 is prohibited.

However, culling would remain an option where epidemiological assessment indicates that it is needed.

The Severn Valley Water Management Scheme (SVWMS) is led by the Environment Agency and will represent a major change in the way water is managed, by reducing not only flood risk but also securing water resources for the future, benefitting and improving water quality, natural assets and the environment. The Government is investing over £34 million from the Flood Defence Grant-in-Aid and Economic Recovery Funding for projects in the scheme and the wider Severn catchment.

Higher than expected inflation is causing challenges to the delivery of all infrastructure programmes. Defra and the Environment Agency are currently undertaking an assessment of the potential impact of inflation on the £5.2 billion 2021-2027 capital investment programme for Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management. The Environment Agency retains an oversight of the SVWMS project and its expenditure to ensure that it is being undertaken in an effective manner.

Working closely with partners on both sides of the English/Welsh border, the Environment Agency and the River Severn Partnership has been developing the initial plan for the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme. This will make a significant, positive difference to community resilience along the upper Severn.

This initial plan outlines a possible approach to effective water management across the Upper Severn catchment. The funding landscape is complex and Partnership working is critical to confirming the funding and delivery routes for the project, which will determine the final plan.

Over the next 12 months the Environment Agency will be working with partners and engaging with stakeholders and communities in the Upper Severn catchment to discuss this work in more detail.

The Secretary of State regularly discusses a range of issues with the Secretary of State for International Trade, including on the UK's approach to different trade negotiations. Discussions cover a range of issues including animal welfare and environmental considerations

Our discussions are grounded in our commitment that the Government will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards in our trade deals

Environmental and animal welfare considerations continue to be central to our approach to agricultural trade in line with our manifesto commitment that the UK's high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards will not be compromised by our trade negotiations.

The SFI pays farmers for managing their land sustainably.

We have worked closely with farmers to make sure the scheme is attractive and accessible, grouping actions into simple packages set out as standards.

As we expand the SFI offer by adding additional standards in 2023 and 2024, we expect uptake to accelerate. Increasing the number of standards available will increase the total amount of revenue that farmers can access by applying for multiple SFI standards.

Defra recognises that gene banking is an important tool for the conservation of genetic diversity for plant and animal breeds and engages with breeds societies on this issue.

Defra funds the management of three plant gene banks (the National Fruit Collection (Brogdale, Kent), the Vegetable Collection (University of Warwick) and the Pea Collection (John Innes Centre, Norwich) which conserve and provide access to a variety of plant genetic material. These collections store both wild and commercial varieties which are regularly regenerated where applicable, to ensure the collections remain viable for the future.

Animal gene bank collections currently present in the United Kingdom are the UK National Livestock Gene Bank, run by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST), and the Ovine Semen Archive, run jointly by RBST and the National Sheep Association (NSA). Many breed societies also hold private collections of genetic material. Defra collects and monitors data on animal cryogenic reserves as part of the annually published UK National Breed Inventory.

By law (REUL for The European Union (EU) Directive 2003/85/EC) animal health-focused exercises of contingency plans need to be undertaken every five years at a cross-department, cross-devolved administration national level and every year/few years at lower regional or limited national levels.

We have a well-established contingency plan for responding to outbreaks of exotic disease in animals Contingency Plan for Exotic Notifiable Diseases of Animals in England (publishing.service.gov.uk). We also have specific control strategies for our highest likelihood threats, such as African Swine fever, Foot and Mouth disease, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Rabies.

The Generic Contingency Plan for Plant Health in England describes how the Plant Health Service in England would manage outbreaks of plant pests. In accordance with retained EU regulation 2016/2031, specific contingency plans are also required for priority plant pests (priority pests are listed here - The Plant Health (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (legislation.gov.uk)). These plans detail additional measures to those set out in the generic contingency plan to manage these pests. Our generic contingency plan and pest specific contingency plans (for the priority pests and other high risk pests) are available here - Contingency planning - UK Plant Health Information Portal (defra.gov.uk). EU regulation 2016/2031 also specifies that simulation exercises should be carried out for our priority pests at appropriate intervals.

Global biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate. Whilst we have no plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting, indefinitely storing and regenerating reproductive cells and cell lines from endangered animal species, we remain fully committed to ensuring our most vulnerable biodiversity is protected. This includes by working with countries to agree an ambitious Global Biodiversity Framework at the forthcoming Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of Parties (CoP15) being held in December this year.

Food Information to Consumers Regulations apply to all food sold on the UK market, including imported food, and require many foods to declare the origin on the label. This includes where the consumer would be misled if it were not given, and always for specific foods such as: beef; veal; lamb; mutton; pork; goat; poultry; fish; shellfish; wine; olive oil; honey; and most fruits and vegetables. Additionally, there are rules that help prevent the consumer from being misled about the origin of the primary ingredient of the food.

In the Food Strategy which was published earlier this year we committed to exploring whether existing country of origin rules can be strengthened by mandating how and where origin information is displayed. HM Government is committed to tightening up food labelling so that it is easier for consumers to buy British.

Fertility clinics which offer the diagnosis of diseases, perform tests for diagnostic purposes, or carry out medical or surgical treatment such as artificial insemination on dogs, are subject to the requirements of The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. The 1966 Act prohibits anyone who is not a veterinary surgeon registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) from undertaking any non-exempt procedure. Concerns about a person's legitimacy to practice should be reported to the RCVS as Regulator for the Act.

Those operating canine fertility clinics, and owners using their services, are required under The Animal Welfare Act 2006 to protect the animals involved from harm and to provide for their welfare in line with good practice. A breach of these provisions may lead to imprisonment, a fine, or both.

The 2006 Act is backed up by the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs which provides owners and keepers with general welfare information, including a specific section on how to protect them from pain, suffering, injury and disease. That section of the Code of Practice recommends owners seek veterinary advice before breeding their dogs and that owners should take all reasonable steps to ensure that they are able to provide the care required during pregnancy.

Under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations) anyone in the business of breeding and selling dogs and/or who breeds three or more litters in a 12 month period needs to have a valid licence from their local authority.

Under the 2018 Regulations licencees must achieve and maintain statutory minimum animal welfare standards, linked to the welfare needs of the Animal Welfare Act 2006: Dog breeding licensing: statutory guidance for local authorities - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

All goods placed on the EU Single Market must comply with EU legislation. Precision bred products would therefore be able to enter the EU market if they have received an EU GMO authorisation and are marketed as such.

The EU are currently consulting on a new regulatory framework for plants produced by precision breeding technologies and intend to implement this framework by 2023. We will continue to monitor progress of this new framework as this develops.

The situation and impacts on farmers in particular, and industry more widely, of increasing fuel prices, are being monitored closely. Defra is in regular contact with key industry figures including the National Farmers Union, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and key sector representatives.

The Government has announced steps to assist farmers with the availability of fertilisers to address uncertainty amongst growers and keep costs down for farmers, such as delaying changes to the use of urea fertiliser by at least a year to help farmer manage costs in light of pressure on the supply of ammonium nitrate fertilisers. Alongside revised and improved statutory guidance on the use of slurry and other manures during autumn and winter, we have introduced new slurry storage grants to help farmers meet the Farming Rules for Water and reducing dependence on artificial fertilisers by storing organic nutrients until needed or for onward processing.

In addition, further details of the Sustainable Farming Incentive have also been published. Given current fertiliser prices, the priority must be to pioneer new technologies to manufacture more organic-based fertiliser products, and rediscover. The Government will pay farmers to help them with the costs of sowing nitrogen fixing plants and green manures in their crops or in advance of their crops to substitute some of their fertiliser requirements for the coming season and reduce their dependence on manufactured fertilisers linked to the price of gas.

Last week I chaired an industry fertiliser roundtable to continue to work on these issues, identify solutions and better understand the impact of current pressures on farmers. In addition, Defra is extending the membership of its longstanding Market Monitoring Group, which involves industry expertise to understand trends in markets.

We understand from industry intelligence that the vast majority of fertiliser needs for this planting season have been met. The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain that has coped well in responding to unprecedented challenges. We speak regularly with food industry figures, who remain confident in the food supply chain.

The UK Government is grateful to Lord Peter Hendy for his Union Connectivity Review. We are taking the time necessary to consider his recommendations, and have been working closely with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government, Northern Ireland Executive and key stakeholders, to identify the solutions that work best for the people of the UK. We will publish the Government’s response as soon as is practicable.

We want to ensure that all rail investment meets the needs of rail users and communities alike and we will continue to consider all requests for new schemes in line with our rail network enhancement pipeline (RNEP) policy. The RNEP is managed as a portfolio with the prioritisation of schemes and the allocation of funds within it managed and updated on an ongoing basis.

We do not routinely estimate the average cost of bus fares, but the Department does publish the local bus fare index quarterly which estimates the change in the average cost of bus travel to the passenger.

Since 1 January 2023, the Department for Transport has put in place a £2 Fare Cap for singles bus fares which applies to the majority of routes in England outside London, which includes North Shropshire and Shropshire.

We recognise that the bus sector, particularly in rural areas, continues to face a number of ongoing challenges. That is why we have announced a long-term approach to support and improve bus services with an additional £300m to support services from July 2023 until April 2025. All local transport authorities have completed and published Bus Service Improvement Plans, determining what the needs of their rural residents are and how to best meet these.

Shropshire County Council has been awarded £1,490,492 under Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus (BSIP+) in 23/24 and has been allocated a total of £2,547,982 in emergency and recovery funding since March 2020 to help maintain bus services.

Additionally, Shropshire County Council receives £512,447 every year through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) to subsidise bus services.

The Government recognises the importance of transport provision in rural areas. England’s long-term National Bus Strategy, “Bus Back Better”, was published in March 2021, setting out a bold vision for bus services across the country.

The Strategy asked all English Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) outside London to publish Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs). It asked for BSIPs to be developed in collaboration with local bus operators and cover the LTA’s full area, all local bus services within it, and the differing needs of any parts of that area, such as rural elements. The Strategy also encouraged new forms of bus provision in areas that are currently not adequately served by conventional timetabled buses.

To support Local Transport Authorities to improve bus services in their areas, we are providing over £1 billion of new money to make bus services more frequent, more reliable, easier to understand and use, better co-ordinated and cheaper. We are also providing practical assistance, including allocating a named Relationship Manager to all LTAs.

Our £20 million Rural Mobility Fund is supporting 17 innovative, demand-led minibus trials in rural and suburban areas across 15 local authorities in England. The experience gained from these pilots will help LTAs better understand how Demand Responsive Transport might best operate.

In addition, the Government is also providing £60 million to help bus operators cap single fares at £2 on services in England outside London from 1 January to 31 March 2023. Over 130 operators covering more than 4,600 routes throughout England are participating in the scheme, including in rural areas, which will help increase patronage on buses and help millions save on their regular travel costs.

Driving test capacity is based on the number of available driving tests, which relates to the numbers of driving test examiners and the number of tests that they are able to carry out per day, rather than the number of sites.

The decision to close a test centre is made if the local demand for testing can be absorbed at an existing nearby centre without reducing test capacity, cancelling tests or impacting on the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s recovery plan to reduce waiting times caused by the pandemic.

There has consequently been zero impact in terms of the availability of driving tests. The DVSA recovery plan to reduce waiting times caused by the pandemic has resulted in an additional 586,500 driving tests being made available. As of the 12th December there were over 80,000 car test slots available.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has received an informal offer to use Whitchurch Civic Centre but there are a number of factors that need to be resolved before an agreement can be reached, including a change of use planning application.

Driving tests were disrupted during the pandemic. The DVSA is working hard to increase the number of practical driving test appointments across Great Britain, including Shropshire. Measures in place to do this include:

• recruiting more than 300 driving examiners;
• offering a national recovery allowance and annual leave buy back to driving examiners;
• asking all those qualified to conduct tests, but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests where capacity allows;
• conducting out of hours testing (such as on public holidays and weekends); and
• resuming the number of driving tests per day to seven for each full-time examiner.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has received an informal offer to use Whitchurch Civic Centre but there are a number of factors that need to be resolved before an agreement can be reached, including a change of use planning application.

Driving tests were disrupted during the pandemic. The DVSA is working hard to increase the number of practical driving test appointments across Great Britain, including Shropshire. Measures in place to do this include:

• recruiting more than 300 driving examiners;
• offering a national recovery allowance and annual leave buy back to driving examiners;
• asking all those qualified to conduct tests, but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests where capacity allows;
• conducting out of hours testing (such as on public holidays and weekends); and
• resuming the number of driving tests per day to seven for each full-time examiner.

In developing the A483 Pant-Llanymynech Bypass RIS3 Pipeline scheme, National Highways will consider options for improvements at this junction as part of its scope alongside wider route optimisation work being conducted. Safety for road users is the top priority for both the Department and National Highways when developing these options.

The Department and National Highways continue to work closely with the Welsh Government to continue to develop options for the A483 Pant-Llanymynech Bypass scheme as part of the pipeline of schemes being considered for possible delivery within the third Road Investment Strategy or future road periods beyond 2025.

In developing its interim Route Strategies that will help shape the third Road Investment Strategy, National Highways has worked closely with interested parties to gather information on the current performance of the A483. This work will assist in the identification of areas for further investigation. Safety is one of the top priorities for the Department and National Highways when producing these strategies.

The Wales – Shropshire border section of the A483 will be considered principally within the Midlands and Gloucestershire to Wales strategy, which is due to be published later this year

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) updates Baroness Vere of Norbiton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, on driving test centre (DTC) closures, including Whitchurch, through written correspondence.

I recognise the importance of transport provision in rural and isolated areas and we as a Government are committed to finding solutions which ensure that local communities in areas such as those in North Shropshire have viable and improved transport services.

We have provided nearly £1.86bn in emergency and recovery grant funding for bus services in England outside London to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. Shropshire Council has so far received a total of £2.17m. Shropshire have also been allocated a further £558,906 through the Local Transport Fund, to continue supporting bus services from April until October, as well as £512,447 in funding from the £42m LTA Bus Service Operators Grant in 2020-21.

I am working closely with Cabinet colleagues to consider support we can provide in these challenging times. My Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has recently announced a 12 month cut to duty on petrol and diesel of 5p per litre, representing a saving worth around £200 for the average van driver, and £1,500 for the average haulier. This is on top of fuel duty rates having been frozen for twelve consecutive years.

The Environmental Statements published for HS2 Phase 2a assessed the impacts of construction traffic for the proposed Phase 2a construction routes, including impacts on pedestrians and their safety for the parish of Woore.

We have made no specific assessments. The COVID-19 pandemic inevitably caused service disruption and increased pressure on mental health services contributing to rising need, demand and complexity of presentations.

Despite these significant challenges, mental health services in the National Health Service have continued to deliver progress against some of the key ambitions in the NHS Long Term Plan throughout this period. This includes meeting the early intervention in psychosis waiting time standard, delivering the commitment for mental health support teams to cover 20-25% of pupils in schools and colleges in England a year ahead of schedule and the roll out of 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, urgent mental health helplines nationwide when the pandemic hit.

The table below shows the number of full-time equivalent consultant radiographers in hospital trusts with Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board (ICB) and in England as of March 2023, which is the latest period for which data is available.

There are 17 full-time equivalent doctors working in the oncology specialisms at hospital trusts and core organisations in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board as of March 2023, which is the latest available data.

Information on unemployed oncologists and vacancies is not held centrally by the Department.

As of March 2023, there were 5,350 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in clinical radiology in National Health Service trusts in England, 269 more than a year ago, representing a 5.3% increase.

As of March 2023, there were 17,006 FTE diagnostic radiographers and 3,024 FTE therapeutic radiographers working in NHS trusts and integrated care boards in England. Compared to March 2022, that is an increase of 882 in diagnostic radiographers, a 5.5% increase, and an increase of 67 in therapeutic radiographers, a 2.3% increase.

In January 2023, Health Education England announced that nearly 900 additional medical specialty training posts have been created for this year, including more than 500 in the key areas of mental health and cancer treatment.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP), published in June 2023, includes an aim to double the number of medical school places in England to 15,000 places a year by 2031/32, and to work towards this expansion by increasing places by a third, to 10,000 a year, by 2028/29. This will increase the potential pipeline for clinical radiologists. The LTWP also sets out planned increases in the training intake for diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers to 2,300 and 475 respectively per year by 2031.

These steps will benefit every integrated care board area, including Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

We acknowledge that there are areas of the country that are experiencing recruitment and retention issues and we are taking steps to address the workforce challenges across the country, including in rural areas.

We are currently working with partners to assess the capacity within existing dental schools to accommodate the proposed expansion in training places set out in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. Work is also underway through the establishment of Centres for Dental Development to bring together dental education and training with service delivery models, particularly in areas where there is a shortage of workforce relative to population need.

In June 2023, NHS England confirmed that it would be renewing the Children and Young People hospice grant for 2024/25, once again allocating £25 million of grant funding for children’s hospices. NHS England will confirm details of the funding mechanism in due course.

NHS England’s ‘Delivery Plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’ aims for 95% of patients needing a diagnostic test to receive it within six weeks by March 2025. £2.3 billion was awarded at Spending Review 2021 to transform diagnostic services over the next three years. Most of this will deliver additional, digitally connected diagnostic capacity and decrease the number of patients waiting more than six weeks for diagnostic tests. This funding will also increase the number of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025.

To help deliver additional diagnostic capacity in the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board area, the Government has approved a CDC in Telford, which is planned to be open in October 2023. Once operational, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin CDC will benefit patients with more convenient access to diagnostic checks, tests and scans, closer to their home.

Nationally, during May 2023, hardworking National Health Service staff completed nearly 2.2 million diagnostic checks.

NHS England is taking steps to support Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board through weekly tiering and monitoring of cancer performance and has developed improvement trajectories for each tumour site. Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin are implementing a range of interventions to reduce the backlog of patients awaiting commencement of treatment and to also improve performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard and 62-day cancer standards.

These interventions include: working with primary care colleagues to fully implement faecal immunochemical testing triage for patients referred on a two-week wait colorectal pathway, in line with operational planning guidance 2023/24; appointment of a clinical lead for the non-site-specific vague symptoms pathway; redesigning its prostate pathway in line with the Best Practice Timed Pathway (BPTP); and undertaking two pilot studies with different primary care networks with the aim of introducing a tele-dermatology service in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

The integrated care board is also working with NHS England and Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin partners to implement the BPTP, including by increasing capacity in non-obstetric ultrasound and hysteroscopy, both essential early diagnostic tools.

The first Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) will open to patients in October 2023 and will provide additional MRI, CT, ultrasound and cardio-respiratory testing capacity across a range of modalities and provide a hub and spoke model for tele-dermatology services.

No assessment has been made.

The Government is committed to reducing cancer waiting times and has worked with NHS England to publish the elective recovery delivery plan in February 2022, backed by funding of £8 billion, to drive up elective activity. This is further supported by £2.3 billion to expand diagnostic services, including the role of community diagnostic centres prioritising cancer services.

In 2023/24, NHS England is continuing to invest £50 million in the priorities set out in the Cancer workforce plan, including additional medical training places for clinical and medical oncology, radiology, histopathology and gastroenterology.

As of February 2023, there were 33,174 full-time equivalent staff in the cancer workforce in National Health Service trusts in England, including histopathologists, gastroenterologists, clinical radiologists, medical and clinical oncologists and diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers.

In January 2023, Health Education England announced that nearly 900 additional medical specialty training posts have been created for this year, including more than 500 in the key areas of mental health and cancer treatment.

NHS England has now confirmed that it will be renewing the grant for 2024/25, once again allocating £25 million of grant funding for children’s hospices. They will also confirm the funding mechanism and individual allocations in due course. Funding arrangements beyond 2024/25 will need to be confirmed by the next Spending Review.

In line with requirements set out in the Health and Care Act 2022, commissioning sustainable palliative and end of life care that meets the needs of the local population, including from children’s hospices when appropriate, is the responsibility of integrated care boards.

To support integrated care boards with this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance which outlines support for commissioning at a system level, as well as service specifications for children and young people’s palliative and end of life care.

We acknowledge that there are areas of the country that are experiencing recruitment and retention issues and we are taking steps to address the National Health Service dental workforce challenges across the country.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published on 30 June, sets out the steps the National Health Service and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. These include a 40% increase to dentistry undergraduate training places by 2031/32. To support this ambition, we will expand places by 24% by 2028/29, taking the overall number that year to 1,000 places.

Furthermore, our plan for dentistry will be published shortly to build upon a package of improvements to the NHS dental system announced in July 2022.

No assessment has been made.

This information is not held centrally

The average number of beds at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust (SaTH) in 2015 to -2023 is shown in the table below.

Source: NHS England

The NHS Shropshire Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board is planning to create an additional 52 sub-acute beds on the SaTH footprint by this winter. That will enable the trust to increase patient flow through its General and Acute bed base.

The information is not available in the format requested for Shropshire Community Health Trust (SCHT). SCHT is not planning any change to its bed base in 2023/24.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published on 30 June 2023, sets an ambition for 5% of the annual intake for midwifery training to come through apprenticeship routes (compared to under 1% currently). The National Health Service is supportive of this being higher in geographies where there is a need.

NHS England has now confirmed that it will be renewing the grant for 2024/25, once again allocating £25 million grant funding for children’s hospices. NHS England will confirm the funding mechanism and individual allocations in due course.

The Government announced on 23 January 2023 that we would be conducting a Rapid Review into mental health inpatient settings, with a specific focus on how we use data and evidence, including complaints, feedback and whistleblowing alerts, to identify risks to safety. The review has now concluded and its findings are expected to be published shortly.

NHS England has also established a three-year Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Inpatient Quality Transformation Programme which seeks to tackle the root causes of unsafe, poor-quality inpatient care in mental health, learning disability and autism settings.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) changed the overall rating of Ivetsey Bank Hospital in Stafford from requires improvement to inadequate following a focused inspection of the hospital in November following patient safety concerns being raised. CQC have kept the hospital in its special measures process, which means it will be closely monitored and re-inspected to assess whether improvements have been made to keep people safe.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is working with the Active Care Group and Ivetsey Bank Hospital regarding quality the care and treatment of those using its services. NHS England, as the appropriate contracting authority for specialised services including CAMHS Tier 4 services, is responsible for planning and managing contracts related to those services.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is working with the Active Care Group and Ivetsey Bank Hospital regarding quality the care and treatment of those using its services. NHS England, as the appropriate contracting authority for specialised services including CAMHS Tier 4 services, is responsible for planning and managing contracts related to those services.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested is not held centrally. Under the Care Act 2014, each local authority is responsible for managing its own debt recovery processes.

New teenage and young adult cancer service specifications are expected to be published within the coming months.

Data protection law allows for people to make requests for copies of their own data through subject access requests. Confirming identification is important as it helps to stop organisations from inadvertently disclosing personal data.

Information that can be used to check people’s identity can include proof of identification, for example, driving licence, passport, birth or marriage certificate; or proof of relationship/authority, for example, requesting information about a child or by an agent.

The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable high-quality care and support services, including support for unpaid carers. Local authorities are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any unpaid carer who appears to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from the carer.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including people diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who are carers. We are supporting ICBs to expand mental health services through the NHS Long Term Plan, which commits to increasing investment into mental health services by at least £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 so that an additional two million people can get the support they need.

ICBs and National Health Service trusts should have due regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline NG87: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management. This guideline aims to improve the diagnosis of ADHD and the quality of care and support that people with ADHD receive.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan the care and support needs of their local population and to secure services to meet them. We expect local authorities to take a variety of factors into account in doing so, including the viability of care providers.

The Government took into account a wide range of pressures including inflation and National Living Wage increases when determining the additional funding made available at the Autumn Statement.

We are making available up to £7.5 billion over two years to support adult social care and discharge - with up to £2.8 billion available in 2023/24 and up to £4.7 billion in 2024/25. This historic funding is more than sufficient to cover these pressures and enable Local Authorities to deliver tangible improvements in adult social care services.

NHS England Virtual wards enable acute level care at home, with the current model of care being led by a lead healthcare provider within either an acute or community provider with collaboration across partners within a system. It is not expected based on the modelling of the national pathways that capacity is drawn from primary care and as implementation develops, we will be able to assess the impact across system health and care partners more accurately. Similarly, the recent £200 million for bedded step-down care will be led by multidisciplinary teams and we will closely monitor the impact on all partners to ensure the programme delivers the anticipated benefits.

NHS England has advised that, while information on local mental health funding per head is calculated by it through data supplied by integrated care boards, this is not centrally validated nor published.

I have had recent discussions with several Integrated Care Systems and local authorities about the challenge of recruiting care workers in rural areas.

A range of factors drive longer ambulance response times, including in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. A key issue is hospital occupancy pressures leading to ambulance handover delays. The Government has announced funding for the National Health Service with £250 million to support patient discharge and patient flow.

The Autumn Statement 2022 provides the National Health Service with an additional £3.3 billion for each of the next two years. Overall planning guidance for the NHS was published on 23 December last year and NHS England will confirm associated allocations to individual commissioners, including NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board, shortly.

No specific assessment has been made, as this information is not collected in the format requested.

There have been no specific discussions. Local authorities work with care providers to meet care needs in the area.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 November 2022 to Question 92396.

Following the autumn statement on 17 November 2022, the Government and NHS England will prepare detailed financial and delivery plans for future years, including for the commitments made in the NHS Long Term Plan. Further information will be available in the new year.

We are currently considering the recommendations made in the report. In 2022, NHS England has invested £127 million in the National Health Service maternity workforce and improving neonatal care. This is in addition to the £95 million investment made in 2021 to fund the establishment of a further 1,200 midwifery and 100 consultant obstetrician posts.

National Health Service trusts can utilise Birthrateplus, a workforce planning calculation which determines the required total midwifery workforce establishment for all hospital and community services. In addition to the Acuity App, this supports the provision of safe and effective care which is responsive to changes in acuity and workforce. NHS England has established a nursing and midwifery retention programme, supporting organisations to undertake an assessment against interventions aligned to the People Promise and to use the outcome to develop high quality retention improvement plans locally.

Training programmes for healthcare professionals must meet the standards set by the regulatory body for the profession. Health Education England (HEE) is working with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and other partners to support the implementation of the Nursing and Midwifery Council Future Midwife Standards. HEE is also working with stakeholders towards a targeted increase of 3,650 midwifery student places by the end of 2022/23, with training leading to professional regulation.

On 1 April 2022, NHS England wrote to all NHS Trust and Foundation Trust senior leaders, Integrated Care System Leads and Chairs, Local Maternity and Neonatal System Leads and Clinical Commissioning Group’s Accountability Officers. The letter highlights the 15 Immediate and Essential Actions for all maternity providers outlined in the Ockenden Report and asked all trusts to review the final report in their next public board and take any urgent action required to mitigate any risks identified and develop robust plans against areas where services need to make changes.

The Department of Health and Social Care, alongside the NHS, have set up a working group chaired by the Royal College of Midwifery and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, to help guide the implementation and next steps of the Immediate and Essential Actions of the Ockenden Report and the East Kent report. The working group have met twice.

NHS England will consider actions from both the Ockenden and East Kent reports and will map a coherent delivery plan for maternity.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust remains on the Maternity Safety Support Programme. The Trust is making good progress and continues to be supported by a full-time dedicated Maternity Improvement Adviser to help it.

We are monitoring pharmacy closures and the impact on access to pharmaceutical services. Access remains good with 80% of the population living within 20 minutes’ walk of a pharmacy and double the number of pharmacies in more deprived areas.

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-24 commits £2.592 billion per year. On 22 September, following negotiations with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, we announced a non-recurrent additional investment of £100 million.

Future planning for the sector following the conclusion of the five-year deal will be informed by a range of evidence, including information provided by the sector representative organisations.

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-24 commits £2.592 billion per year to community pharmacy. The following table shows the nominal and real terms funding accounting for inflation in each year since 2018/19.

In addition, the agreement with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee for 2022/23 and 2023/24, announced on 22 September 2022, provides a non-recurrent additional investment of £100 million.

No specific assessment has been made. Within social care, local authorities are responsible for ensuring there is sufficient workforce capacity to meet the care needs of the local population. To support local authorities, we have established a £15 million international recruitment fund and a new domestic recruitment campaign will launch shortly. The Department has also commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan for the National Health Service.

The NHS People Plan sets out a range of actions to improve staff retention, such as creating a more inclusive culture through measures to address health and wellbeing, equality and diversity, culture and leadership and flexible working. NHS England is supporting local systems to develop tailored health and wellbeing offers to meet the needs of the workforce, including in rural and coastal areas. This includes the mental health hubs in each integrated care system and occupational health services which are being supported through a national programme, ‘Growing Occupational Health and Wellbeing’.

No specific assessment has been made. Within social care, local authorities are responsible for ensuring there is sufficient workforce capacity to meet the care needs of the local population. To support local authorities, we have established a £15 million international recruitment fund and a new domestic recruitment campaign will launch shortly. The Department has also commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan for the National Health Service.

The NHS People Plan sets out a range of actions to improve staff retention, such as creating a more inclusive culture through measures to address health and wellbeing, equality and diversity, culture and leadership and flexible working. NHS England is supporting local systems to develop tailored health and wellbeing offers to meet the needs of the workforce, including in rural and coastal areas. This includes the mental health hubs in each integrated care system and occupational health services which are being supported through a national programme, ‘Growing Occupational Health and Wellbeing’.

In September we announced Our Plan for Patients, which outlines the initial steps we are taking to meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Shropshire.

The Plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver NHS treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The Plan also includes streamlining processes for registration of overseas dentists so they can more swiftly start to treat NHS patients; and holding the local ICS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England are also delivering a programme to reform dental education which will help recruitment and retention of dental professionals, including NHS dentists and other dental care professionals.

No specific assessment has been made. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Shropshire.

The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

The Department publishes details of ministers’ meetings with external organisations on a quarterly basis, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings#2022

Ambulance trusts receive continuous central monitoring and support from the National Ambulance Coordination Centre. NHS England has allocated an additional £150 million to address ambulance service pressures in 2022/23 and support improvements to response times through call handler recruitment and retention.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust is monitoring staffing levels on a monthly basis through its Quality Safety Assurance Committee and has established mutual aid agreements with local partners to assist during times of significant pressure. The Trust has also worked with NHS England to develop a plan to increase the substantive nursing workforce in 2022/23 and enhancing nursing associate, advanced care practitioner, physician associate and apprenticeship roles.

As of March 2022, there were 5,980 full time equivalent (FTE) staff working at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, an increase of 3% from March 2021. This includes a 4.7% increase in the number of FTE doctors and nurses.

All medical undergraduate students can access a foundation programme training post and those due to begin foundation training in 2022/23 have been allocated places. After foundation training, a medical doctor can apply to enter specialty training. In 2021, the fill rate for training posts was 99.2% across all specialties, following a 35% increase in applications. For those who have applied to begin training in 2022, Health Education England is investing in more than 750 additional training posts across all specialty programmes.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust is working with West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) and community partners to reduce conveyances of some patients to hospital as clinically appropriate, providing alternate treatment and care at home or in the community. The Trust is also working with WMAS to cohort ambulance patients at accident and emergency (A&E) departments. This involves a single ambulance crew taking responsibility for three to four patients within the A&E department, releasing crews to respond to outstanding calls in the community.

Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System also launched a winter health campaign to the end of March, designed to influence public behaviour with messaging to encourage the use of NHS 111 and local pharmacies, so that A&E departments are only used when necessary. Ambulances also have direct access to a same day emergency care centre at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to shape their local markets to ensure that a range of high quality, sustainable, person-centred care and support services are available to meet the needs of the local population. The Government has made £1.4 billion available to support local authorities to move towards paying providers a fair cost of care. Local authorities will be required to conduct an exercise to understand the costs of providing care in the local area. These exercises should reflect geographic variation in costs, such as staff pay and travel time.

We have also announced up to £30 million to support local areas to implement new models of care, supporting innovation in delivery, investment, market-shaping and commissioning practices for care.

We welcome the Report of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Rural Health and Social Care, in particular its focus on health disparities and the distinct experiences of rural communities. The Government is committed to levelling up health across the country. We plan to publish a Health Disparities White Paper later this year which will set out a series of impactful measures to address health disparities and their causes, including those linked to geography.

The National Health Service will receive an extra £5.4 billion to April 2022 to support performance and the response to COVID-19. This includes £478 million to continue the enhanced hospital discharge programme to ensure bed capacity, improve patient flow through hospitals and improve accident and emergency (A&E) performance. We have also invested £450 million to upgrade A&E facilities in over 120 trusts to improve capacity through expanding waiting areas, increasing the number of treatment cubicles, reducing overcrowding and supporting social distancing.

In addition, NHS England and NHS Improvement are providing support to hospital sites with ambulance queues and handover delay challenges. This includes the placement of specialised hospital ambulance liaison officers, safe cohorting of patients and direct access other area of hospitals to accelerate ambulance handovers. NHS England and NHS Improvement have also provided an extra £55 million for ambulance trusts to increase staffing levels, such as more than 700 additional staff in control rooms and on the frontline. This includes £1.85 million to place hospital ambulance liaison officers at the most challenged hospitals to help address ambulance queues.

The National Health Service will receive an extra £5.4 billion to April 2022 to support performance and the response to COVID-19. This includes £478 million to continue the enhanced hospital discharge programme to ensure bed capacity, improve patient flow through hospitals and improve accident and emergency (A&E) performance. We have also invested £450 million to upgrade A&E facilities in over 120 trusts to improve capacity through expanding waiting areas, increasing the number of treatment cubicles, reducing overcrowding and supporting social distancing.

In addition, NHS England and NHS Improvement are providing support to hospital sites with ambulance queues and handover delay challenges. This includes the placement of specialised hospital ambulance liaison officers, safe cohorting of patients and direct access other area of hospitals to accelerate ambulance handovers. NHS England and NHS Improvement have also provided an extra £55 million for ambulance trusts to increase staffing levels, such as more than 700 additional staff in control rooms and on the frontline. This includes £1.85 million to place hospital ambulance liaison officers at the most challenged hospitals to help address ambulance queues.

The National Health Service is working with local authorities and partners to ensure that medically fit patients can be discharged home as soon as possible seven days a week. People who are clinically ready and no longer need to be in hospital are supported to return to a familiar environment where possible, until they are assessed for their long-term health and care needs.

We have established a national discharge taskforce and allocated approximately £3.3 billion to support safe and timely hospital discharge since March 2020. This includes an additional £478 million to continue hospital discharge programmes until March 2022. Systems are also making full use of non-acute beds in the local health and care system, including in hospices, community beds and the independent sector.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 July 2023 to Question 192887 to the hon. Member for West Norfolk (James Wild).

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 July 2023 to Question 192887 to the hon. Member for West Norfolk (James Wild).

The Department set out an expectation that suppliers must demonstrate they can sustain performance at or above the Acceptable Level of Performance (ALP). Ministry of Defence (MOD) Officials hold regular scrutiny meetings with the Chief Executives of these suppliers to continue to hold them to account, to drive performance improvements and deliver the best possible service to for Service personnel and their families. Ministers have also met with contractor Chief Executives to direct action and have received and acted on frequent updates on performance progress.

The Department has also exercised to the fullest extent, its contractual rights to withhold fixed and variable profit in respect of the delivery of the contractual performance measures.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 June 2023 to Question 189888 to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Kim Johnson).

The following table provides a breakdown of occupied Service Family Accommodation (SFA) for (a) RAF Shawbury, (b) RAF Cosford and (c) Clive Barracks (Ternhill), with expired Gas Safety Certificates and Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR):

Engineers have attended the 10 homes with expired Gas Safety Certificates at least once, with the majority attended more than once, however, the contractor has been unable to gain access or confirm an appointment with all the families. It remains a top priority to gain access to these homes.

Appointments to complete the EICRs for the 156 occupied SFA at these sites have been made and should be carried out by the end of August 2023. A number of factors have led to the EICR backlog accumulating, for example, supply chain resource problems, and legislation has reduced the currency of existing electrical safety certificates from 10 years to five, increasing the frequency of the checks.

The safety of our personnel and their families is our highest priority. It is unacceptable for any family to be living in a home without the necessary checks.

The following table provides a breakdown of occupied Service Family Accommodation (SFA) for (a) RAF Shawbury, (b) RAF Cosford and (c) Clive Barracks (Ternhill), with expired Gas Safety Certificates and Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR):

Engineers have attended the 10 homes with expired Gas Safety Certificates at least once, with the majority attended more than once, however, the contractor has been unable to gain access or confirm an appointment with all the families. It remains a top priority to gain access to these homes.

Appointments to complete the EICRs for the 156 occupied SFA at these sites have been made and should be carried out by the end of August 2023. A number of factors have led to the EICR backlog accumulating, for example, supply chain resource problems, and legislation has reduced the currency of existing electrical safety certificates from 10 years to five, increasing the frequency of the checks.

The safety of our personnel and their families is our highest priority. It is unacceptable for any family to be living in a home without the necessary checks.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 June 2023 to Question 189888 to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Kim Johnson).

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 June 2023 to Question 189888 to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Kim Johnson).

Launched in 2012, the Defence Discount Service (DDS) is the official Ministry of Defence (MOD) discount service for the UK’s Armed Forces, veterans, and defence community.

With over 650,000 members, the DDS is partnered with over 9,000 brands, providing savings, benefits, and discounts. Its members can access discounts for free online through the DDS website, saving them thousands on holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, electronics and more. In addition, a Defence Privilege Card can also be purchased for £4.99 for access to discounts on the high street in stores, restaurants and venues, and is valid for five years.

The DDS is open to Regular serving members of the Armed Forces; Reserve forces; Armed Forces’ veterans; MOD Civil Servants; Cadet Forces (aged 16+) and adult instructors; spouses and partners of serving personnel; bereaved family members; war and service widow(er)s and NATO personnel serving in the UK.

Membership is up year on year, as is the number of offers available. In the last Financial Year alone, the DDS has recruited over 65,000 brand new members, plus over 28,000 members have gone on to renew their Defence Privilege Cards for a further five years. More information on who qualifies and the offers available can be found at the DDS website: www.defencediscountservice.co.uk

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) provides additional needs and disability adaptations; these can vary from minor adaptations such as a grab rail, to complex works such as ramping, or through-floor lifts.

Most adaptations are undertaken on Service Family Accomodation (SFA) and relate to medical needs of family members. In 2022-23, work was carried out to 166 SFA. However, the provision also exists for DIO to deliver adaptations to privately owned homes for veterans with significant injuries or other medical conditions where required.

The quality of maintenance and repair work to Service Family Accommodation (SFA) is assessed in a number of ways:

There is a requirement for suppliers to carry out a facilities management inspection of every SFA in the first three years of the Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) accommodation contracts, which began on 1 April 2022.

Full condition surveys of our circa 47,900 SFA are undertaken on a six-yearly cycle by qualified surveyors. On average, 8,000 SFA are assessed each year. Condition is assessed against the Decent Homes (DH) Standard. Currently 96% of SFA meets or exceeds the Government's DH Standard.

Suppliers have developed 'fast feedback', measuring the customers' initial assessment of the work undertaken; and a metric is included within the FDIS contract to measure the quality of reactive maintenance tasks which is being refined to ensure it is suitably robust.

The previous National Housing Prime contract, which ran until the end of March 2022, did not report on the average completion times. There was no contractual requirement for the supplier to record data in that way.

Since 1 April 2022the implementation of the Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) Accommodation contracts, there have been three UK Service Family Accommodation (SFA) maintenance response categories which cover maintenance and repairs: Emergency (respond and make safe within 2 hours), Urgent (attend and fix within 48 hours) and Routine (attend and rectify within 12 days).

The table below details the average response times for Emergency, Urgent and Routine repairs and maintenance since April 2022:

A total of £1,140,244 has been paid in compensation to Service personnel since the implementation of the Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) accommodation contracts on 1 April 2022, until the period ending April 2023 (the latest date for which figures are available). Compensation payments are administered and funded by the FDIS suppliers at no cost to the Ministry of Defence.

The amount the Department has spent on maintenance and repair works on Service Faily Accommodation (SFA) in each of the last five years can be found in the table below:

There are no specific processes at the two-week point. All cases are considered based on individual circumstances, such as whether a family is at risk of harm (particularly if there is a vulnerable person present in the household) or are experiencing significant hardship or inconvenience and the matter cannot be quickly resolved or mitigated (e.g. through the use of temporary heaters); temporary accommodation should then be provided as appropriate.

There are 854 SFA properties in North Shropshire of which 666 are occupied. On 31 January 2023, 592 of these were occupied by service families and 74 were occupied by civilian occupants under the private rental scheme.

Of the 592 SFA occupied by service families, 585 (98.8%) meet or exceed the Decent Homes standard.

The seven occupied properties below the Decent Homes standard are structurally safe and sound and met the standard at the point of allocation. However, they have since fallen below and works are planned to bring them back up to the standard or above.

All SFA allocated to Service families in the UK meets the Government's Decent Homes Standard as a minimum. Homes below this standard are not allocated to Service personnel and their families.

None of the Service Family Accommodation (SFA) in North Shropshire are owned by the Ministry of Defence. All 854 SFA in this area are leased either directly from Annington Homes Limited or through a Private Finance Initiative project.

As at 31 January 2023, 188 of these SFA were vacant. However, 25 have been offered or allocated to Service Families. The remaining vacant SFA are being retained for potential future military use.

Individual building owners and managers continue to be responsible for health and safety, including responding to safety alerts such as RAAC.

Building owners must address safety risks of all kinds in their buildings through a risk-based, proportionate and evidence-based approach. On the 1 May 2019, the Standing Committee on Structural Safety issued a safety alert on the failure of RAAC planks. Local authorities, like other building owners, are advised to follow available professional guidance.

The Local Government Association has advised members to check whether any buildings in their estates have RAAC, to ensure it can be identified, assessed, and responded to accordingly. This is accessible on the LGA website and in line with the guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers. If further buildings are identified as having suspected or confirmed RAAC, building owners and managers should follow the guidance to put appropriate mitigation in place.

Individual building owners and managers continue to be responsible for health and safety, including responding to safety alerts such as RAAC.

Building owners must address safety risks of all kinds in their buildings through a risk-based, proportionate and evidence-based approach. On the 1 May 2019, the Standing Committee on Structural Safety issued a safety alert on the failure of RAAC planks. Local authorities, like other building owners, are advised to follow available professional guidance.

The Local Government Association has advised members to check whether any buildings in their estates have RAAC, to ensure it can be identified, assessed, and responded to accordingly. This is accessible on the LGA website and in line with the guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers. If further buildings are identified as having suspected or confirmed RAAC, building owners and managers should follow the guidance to put appropriate mitigation in place.

Individual building owners and managers continue to be responsible for health and safety, including responding to safety alerts such as RAAC.

Building owners must address safety risks of all kinds in their buildings through a risk-based, proportionate and evidence-based approach. On the 1 May 2019, the Standing Committee on Structural Safety issued a safety alert on the failure of RAAC planks. Local authorities, like other building owners, are advised to follow available professional guidance.

The Local Government Association has advised members to check whether any buildings in their estates have RAAC, to ensure it can be identified, assessed, and responded to accordingly. This is accessible on the LGA website and in line with the guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers. If further buildings are identified as having suspected or confirmed RAAC, building owners and managers should follow the guidance to put appropriate mitigation in place.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN HL8422 and UIN191722 on 26 June 2023 and 3 July 2023.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN HL8422 and UIN191722 on 26 June 2023 and 3 July 2023.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN HL8422 and UIN191722 on 26 June 2023 and 3 July 2023.

I refer the Hon. Member to my answer to Question UIN 192723 on 11 July 2023.

This department has launched the Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund which will boost the supply of mitigation available locally, by funding high quality bids submitted by local authorities. Funding decisions will be announced in due course.

The information requested on planning refusals is not held centrally.

This department has launched the Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund which will boost the supply of mitigation available locally, by funding high quality bids submitted by local authorities. Funding decisions will be announced in due course.

The information requested on planning refusals is not held centrally.

This department has launched the Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund which will boost the supply of mitigation available locally, by funding high quality bids submitted by local authorities. Funding decisions will be announced in due course.

The information requested on planning refusals is not held centrally.

We are committed to delivering 300,000 homes a year and modern methods of construction (MMC) is a key part of our progress towards that target. The Government is supporting the development and use of MMC, which has the capability of unlocking a range of benefits including increased energy efficiency, quicker delivery of new homes and improving the diversity of the housing sector.

Numbers of called in decisions are published by the Planning Inspectorate as part of official statistics.

The information requested is not held centrally.

On 25 May 2023, the Secretary of State announced that he had considered that Woking Borough Council had failed in their best value duty. Consequently, the Council has been placed in statutory intervention for a duration of five years. Commissioners have been appointed with powers over key council functions, including finance and commercial activities. On 7 June, the Interim Finance Director of Woking Borough Council issued a notice, as required under section 114 of the Local Government Act 1988, that the Council cannot balance its budget in the current or subsequent financial years. The issuance of such a notice is a local decision.

As part of the intervention, the Secretary of State has directed the Council to prepare and agree an Improvement and Recovery Plan to the satisfaction of the Commissioners within six months.

The Government is working closely with Woking Borough Council and its Commissioners to monitor, in detail, the Council's future borrowing requirements.

On 25 May 2023, the Secretary of State announced that he had considered that Woking Borough Council had failed in their best value duty. Consequently, the Council has been placed in statutory intervention for a duration of five years. Commissioners have been appointed with powers over key council functions, including finance and commercial activities. On 7 June, the Interim Finance Director of Woking Borough Council issued a notice, as required under section 114 of the Local Government Act 1988, that the Council cannot balance its budget in the current or subsequent financial years. The issuance of such a notice is a local decision.

As part of the intervention, the Secretary of State has directed the Council to prepare and agree an Improvement and Recovery Plan to the satisfaction of the Commissioners within six months.

The Government is working closely with Woking Borough Council and its Commissioners to monitor, in detail, the Council's future borrowing requirements.

Government remains committed to the Building Safety Regulator being fully operational by April 2024 in order to deliver its important work. We do not anticipate any impact on current commitments, timelines or other statutory duties of the Building Safety Regulator.

Government remains committed to the Building Safety Regulator being fully operational by April 2024 in order to deliver its important work. We do not anticipate any impact on current commitments, timelines or other statutory duties of the Building Safety Regulator.

Government remains committed to the Building Safety Regulator being fully operational by April 2024 in order to deliver its important work. We do not anticipate any impact on current commitments, timelines or other statutory duties of the Building Safety Regulator.

Government remains committed to the Building Safety Regulator being fully operational by April 2024 in order to deliver its important work. We do not anticipate any impact on current commitments, timelines or other statutory duties of the Building Safety Regulator.

Following the Building Safety Act 2022, responsibility for the implementation of the Operational Standards Rules for building control authorities sits with the Building Safety Regulator in the Health and Safety Executive. The Building Safety Regulator has published the Operational Standards Rules as well as their monitoring arrangements in April 2023. These will be effective from Spring 2024, to coincide with wider changes to the regulation and oversight of the building control profession. The Department continues to work closely with the Building Safety Regulator, CICIAR and the wider sector to ensure a smooth implementation of the new oversight regime.

The Government is committed to increasing the number of MMC homes and is supporting the sector through our £1.5 billion Levelling Up Home Building Fund and providing funding for up to 19,000 MMC homes through the Affordable Homes Programme.

Regarding the assessment of the potential impact of voter identification on levels of fraud and turnout levels at the May 2023 local elections, I refer the Hon. Member to the response given to Question UIN 162192 on 14 March 2023.

Regarding the list of accepted forms of identification and the equality impact assessment, I refer the Hon. Member to the response to Question UIN 183968 and to UIN 180947 on 16 May 2023 and 20 April 2023.

No eligible electors should be turned away due to wearing religious head dress. Privacy screens or private areas must be, by law, available in all polling stations for electors who may wish to have their identity checked in private.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 183152 on 9 May 2023.

Regarding the assessment of the potential impact of voter identification on levels of fraud and turnout levels at the May 2023 local elections, I refer the Hon. Member to the response given to Question UIN 162192 on 14 March 2023.

Regarding the list of accepted forms of identification and the equality impact assessment, I refer the Hon. Member to the response to Question UIN 183968 and to UIN 180947 on 16 May 2023 and 20 April 2023.

No eligible electors should be turned away due to wearing religious head dress. Privacy screens or private areas must be, by law, available in all polling stations for electors who may wish to have their identity checked in private.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 183152 on 9 May 2023.

As required by paragraph 34 of part 7 of the Voter Identification Regulations 2022, polling station staff were required to collect data regarding the use of identification. This information will be returned to Government and the Electoral Commission in due course, as set out in the UQ response on the floor of the House on 27 April 2023 (Official Report, HC, Volume 731, Column 919).

The Government will be publishing reports as required by section 59A of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

The Electoral Commission will also report on the elections in the usual way.

As required by paragraph 34 of part 7 of the Voter Identification Regulations 2022, polling station staff were required to collect data regarding the use of identification. This information will be returned to Government and the Electoral Commission in due course, as set out in the UQ response on the floor of the House on 27 April 2023 (Official Report, HC, Volume 731, Column 919).

The Government will be publishing reports as required by section 59A of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

The Electoral Commission will also report on the elections in the usual way.

As required by paragraph 34 of part 7 of the Voter Identification Regulations 2022, polling station staff were required to collect data regarding the use of identification. This information will be returned to Government and the Electoral Commission in due course, as set out in the UQ response on the floor of the House on 27 April 2023 (Official Report, HC, Volume 731, Column 919).

The Government will be publishing reports as required by section 59A of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

The Electoral Commission will also report on the elections in the usual way.

As required by paragraph 34 of part 7 of the Voter Identification Regulations 2022, polling station staff were required to collect data regarding the use of identification. This information will be returned to Government and the Electoral Commission in due course, as set out in the UQ response on the floor of the House on 27 April 2023 (Official Report, HC, Volume 731, Column 919).

The Government will be publishing reports as required by section 59A of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

The Electoral Commission will also report on the elections in the usual way.

As required by paragraph 34 of part 7 of the Voter Identification Regulations 2022, polling station staff were required to collect data regarding the use of identification. This information will be returned to Government and the Electoral Commission in due course, as set out in the UQ response on the floor of the House on 27 April 2023 (Official Report, HC, Volume 731, Column 919).

The Government will be publishing reports as required by section 59A of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

The Electoral Commission will also report on the elections in the usual way.

As required by paragraph 34 of part 7 of the Voter Identification Regulations 2022, polling station staff were required to collect data regarding the use of identification. This information will be returned to Government and the Electoral Commission in due course, as set out in the UQ response on the floor of the House on 27 April 2023 (Official Report, HC, Volume 731, Column 919).

The Government will be publishing reports as required by section 59A of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

The Electoral Commission will also report on the elections in the usual way.

The Government has committed to consider overheating and indoor air quality risks when developing policies to future-proof buildings and continues to undertake relevant research.

Work carried out under current Government retrofit schemes, including the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), must be carried out by a certified installer in accordance with PAS 2035 to ensure that risks, including overheating and ventilation risks, are considered.

The Decent Homes Standard (DHS) already contains certain protections against overheating. The government has committed to review the DHS to ensure that it meets present minimum standards on safety and decency for the social and private rented sectors.

The Government is committed to increasing the supply of new homes, including affordable housing, so we can meet our target of 300,000 new homes a year.

As has been the case under successive administrations, it is for Local Authorities to set out their plans to address housing need in their areas, including how much of that should be for affordable housing. Our £11.5bn Affordable Homes Programme will deliver tens of thousands of affordable homes.

Data on new affordable housing, including social rent and affordable rent, is collected and published by financial year, and collected by local authority rather than parliamentary constituency. Figures and detail are available here.

The Government is committed to increasing the supply of new homes, including affordable housing, so we can meet our target of 300,000 new homes a year.

As has been the case under successive administrations, it is for local authorities to set out their plans to address housing need in their areas, including how much of that should be for affordable housing. Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver tens of thousands of affordable homes.

Data on new affordable housing, including social rent and affordable rent, is collected and published by financial year, and collected by local authority rather than parliamentary constituency. Figures and detail are available here.

I refer the Hon. Member to the response given to the Urgent Question on 21 February 2023 (Official Report, HC, Volume 728, Column 138), to Question UIN 165271 on 20 March 2023 and Question UIN 171447 on 31 March 2023.

The Government published an Equality Impact Assessment of the Elections Act. This included consideration of the impact on people with protected characteristics.

The Electoral Commission is responsible for the communications campaign to help voters understand the new requirement to present identification to vote. This has included work with civil society groups and other stakeholders, including organisations that represent disabled people.

As is already publicly available, an easy read version of the application form for the Voter Authority Certificate is on gov.uk and from the Electoral Commission and easy read instructions are available to support people to apply online. The Government has also legislated to require that accessible information be sent with the Voter Authority Certificate to electors that request it, including in easy read.

I refer the Hon. Member to the response given to the Urgent Question on 21 February 2023 (Official Report, HC, Volume 728, Column 138), to Question UIN 165271 on 20 March 2023 and Question UIN 171447 on 31 March 2023.

The Government published an Equality Impact Assessment of the Elections Act. This included consideration of the impact on people with protected characteristics.

The Electoral Commission is responsible for the communications campaign to help voters understand the new requirement to present identification to vote. This has included work with civil society groups and other stakeholders, including organisations that represent disabled people.

As is already publicly available, an easy read version of the application form for the Voter Authority Certificate is on gov.uk and from the Electoral Commission and easy read instructions are available to support people to apply online. The Government has also legislated to require that accessible information be sent with the Voter Authority Certificate to electors that request it, including in easy read.

The Government recognises that there are concerns surrounding the effectiveness of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and intends to consult on reforms this year.

We are in close and regular contact with sector representative bodies and councils to monitor budgets and service delivery.

The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2023/24 makes available up to £59.7 billion for local government in England - a significant increase in funding which is designed to assist councils in service delivery.

The Government is in regular discussion with the Royal Mail to ensure planning is in place ahead of the May elections and will continue to monitor the position with regard to industrial action.

The department will be regularly publishing information on applications for Voter Authority Certificates.

Yes. The Government’s commitment to Net Zero will affect almost all aspects of the economy.

Details of the assessment and decision-making process for round 2 of the Levelling Up Fund are available in the published explanatory note. A detailed breakdown of funding requested and awarded in round 2 can be found in the published geographic and thematic analysis. The department does not request nor record the costs incurred by applicants to the Fund. As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 19 January, I am pleased to say there will be a third round of the Fund and we will outline more information on this in due course.

Unsuccessful applicants to this second round will be provided written feedback to support future applications into levelling up funds.

In the Government's British Energy Security Strategy, published earlier this year, we committed to reviewing the practical planning barriers that households can face when installing energy efficiency measures, including in conservation areas and listed buildings. My department has been working on the review jointly with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and will make an announcement on the outcomes in due course.

In the Levelling Up White Paper, we committed to a new taskforce on the issue of older people's housing, which will look at ways we can provide greater choice, quality and security of housing for older people, and support the growth of a thriving older people's housing sector in this country. Arrangements for the taskforce are still ongoing and further details will be released in due course.

The Ground Rent Act came in force on 30 June 2022 for most new residential leases, and from 1 April 2023 this will also apply to retirement leases.

Where retirement housing providers are registered with the Regulator of Social Housing, the Regulator has the role of ensuring that providers are well-managed and are able to meet the regulatory standards.

The Care Quality Commission oversees standards of personal care services in housing-with-care retirement settings irrespective of housing tenure.

The Government will consult on proposed Council Tax Referendum Principles at the Provisional Settlement in the usual way, where it will also publish estimates of the amount of money each council could raise from Council Tax.

The Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill includes a package of measures including a new power to issue temporary stop notices for listed buildings, improved powers to issue urgent works notices and the removal of compensation in relation to building preservation notices.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 90820, on the 23 November 2022.

We have provided funding per arrival to councils to enable them to provide support to individuals and families. This is un-ringfenced, which allows councils to use the funding as best suits the local area, including measures to support guests during and post the initial six months of sponsorship.

On the question of finding hosts and accommodation for Ukrainian guests, I refer the Hon. Member to Question UIN69812 answered on the 1 November 2022.

We have provided funding per arrival to councils to enable them to provide support to individuals and families. This is un-ringfenced, which allows councils to use the funding as best suits the local area, including measures to support guests during and post the initial six months of sponsorship.

On the question of finding hosts and accommodation for Ukrainian guests, I refer the Hon. Member to Question UIN69812 answered on the 1 November 2022.

With reference to financial year 2023/2024, the Government is currently considering elements of the future local government financial settlement and will make announcements in due course.

Estimated Implementation costs are available in the Impact Assessment that was published alongside the draft secondary legislation implementing the voter identification requirements. This estimate covers the wider costs that will be incurred by central government, not just specifically local authorities.

In line with longstanding government policy, New Burdens will be provided to local authorities to clear additional costs as a result of these changes.

Estimated Implementation costs are available in the Impact Assessment that was published alongside the draft secondary legislation implementing the voter identification requirements. This estimate covers the wider costs that will be incurred by central government, not just specifically local authorities.

In line with longstanding government policy, New Burdens will be provided to local authorities to clear additional costs as a result of these changes.

We are assessing the proposals received through the recent Expression Of Interest process. Policy announcements will be made in the usual way. Individual authorities responding to the Expression of Interest will be able to confirm time spent on preparation of submission.

We are assessing the proposals received through the recent Expression Of Interest process. Policy announcements will be made in the usual way. Individual authorities responding to the Expression of Interest will be able to confirm time spent on preparation of submission.

Local authorities' websites show whether statement of accounts have been audited.

We have provided £15 million in additional taxpayer subsidy for 2021/22 to support local authorities with the costs of strengthening their financial reporting. The Government is also continuing to deliver on the commitments it made in its response to the Redmond Review.

It is the Government’s ambition to see more disabled people in public office and is taking positive action to promote disabled people’s participation in public life, including working directly with parties and protecting disabled people through the Equality Act 2010.

Building on the experience of the Access to Elected Office fund and the EnAble fund, DLUHC with the LGA launched a new scheme in April 2022, to support those seeking to become candidates in local elections.

We have been clear that the responsibility for supporting disabled candidates sits with political parties and that the EnAble Fund was an interim measure to give parties time to put their own support in place.

As with all departmental business, the Secretary of State maintains overall responsibility for the work of the department, and I support the Secretary of State on building safety policy. Fire safety policy is a matter for the Home Office and responsibility for this rests with Jeremy Quin, the Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire.

It is the Government’s ambition to see more disabled people in public office and is taking positive action to promote disabled people’s participation in public life, including working directly with parties and protecting disabled people through the Equality Act 2010.

Building on the experience of the Access to Elected Office fund and the EnAble fund, DLUHC with the LGA launched a new scheme in April 2022, to support those seeking to become candidates in local elections.

We have been clear that the responsibility for supporting disabled candidates sits with political parties and that the EnAble Fund was an interim measure to give parties time to put their own support in place.

It is the Government’s ambition to see more disabled people in public office and is taking positive action to promote disabled people’s participation in public life, including working directly with parties and protecting disabled people through the Equality Act 2010.

Building on the experience of the Access to Elected Office fund and the EnAble fund, DLUHC with the LGA launched a new scheme in April 2022, to support those seeking to become candidates in local elections.

We have been clear that the responsibility for supporting disabled candidates sits with political parties and that the EnAble Fund was an interim measure to give parties time to put their own support in place.

This Government is committed to delivering growth across the country and sees the delivery of Investment Zones as important to achieving this to date.

All eligible local authorities have been invited to express their interest in having an investment zone as part of a process which concluded on 14 October 2022. More details on the scheme were made public as part of this process.

The choice to both apply for, and then become a location for, an investment zone is entirely that of the local authority. We look forward to working with successful local authorities in the months ahead.

The Spending Review settlement took into account a wide range of cost pressures. We are providing around £1.6 billion of additional grant for local government in 2022/23.

Inflation forecasts are higher than they were at the Spending Review. How that interacts with the finances of local government is, however, not straightforward.   While councils are responsible for their own financial management, and are required to set a balanced budget, we are working closely with the sector to understand what the impact of cost and pressures will be on service delivery and budgets.

Through the new Energy Bill Relief Scheme, the Government will provide a discount on energy prices for local authorities whose bills have been significantly inflated by the global energy crisis.

The Spending Review settlement took into account a wide range of cost pressures. We are providing around £1.6 billion of additional grant for local government in 2022/23.

Inflation forecasts are higher than they were at the Spending Review. How that interacts with the finances of local government is, however, not straightforward.   While councils are responsible for their own financial management, and are required to set a balanced budget, we are working closely with the sector to understand what the impact of cost and pressures will be on service delivery and budgets.

Through the new Energy Bill Relief Scheme, the Government will provide a discount on energy prices for local authorities whose bills have been significantly inflated by the global energy crisis.

Through a generous package of incentives, Freeports will unlock private investment and catalyse job creation within their regions. As part of this package, full business rates relief will be available to eligible business in Freeport tax sites in England, once designated. Relief will be available to all new businesses, and certain existing businesses where they expand, until 30 September 2026. The government will, in line with the eligibility criteria set out in the business rates relief: local authority guidance , reimburse local authorities that use their discretionary relief powers under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (as amended), to grant this relief. Local authorities will also retain business rate growth on Freeport tax sites above an agreed baseline over a 25-year period, empowering them to invest in local economic priorities.

This second round of the £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund will allocate further funding to infrastructure projects that will improve everyday life for residents across the United Kingdom.

I am aware that applicants across the UK have been working hard to develop ambitious bids to this second round of the Levelling Up Fund. I am therefore delighted to confirm that the application portal opened on Friday 15 July. To allow adequate time for the submission of bids, the portal will remain open until noon 2 August.

I am delighted to have opened the application portal for the second round of the Fund on the 15 July. I am aware that applicants across the UK have been working hard to develop ambitious bids. I am pleased that they have benefitted from some extra time, enabling them to make further use of the support materials provided to them including guidance and technical teach-ins. I look forward to announcing the outcome later this year, which will see much needed further investment awarded to places in need of levelling up.

The Government is committed to creating a fair and just housing system that works for everyone and to delivering the second phase of our major two-part leasehold reform within this Parliament.

We have already taken action to end unfair practices in the leasehold market, beginning with the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 Act, which will come into force on 30 June. The Act will make homeownership fairer and more transparent for thousands of future leaseholders, by preventing landlords under new residential long leases from requiring a leaseholder to pay a financial ground rent.

We understand the difficulties some existing leaseholders face with high and escalating ground rents. In this Parliament our reforms will supercharge leaseholders' ability to buy their freehold, helping 4.6 million households genuinely to own their own home with significant discounts for those trapped with egregious, escalating ground rents.

Unfair practices have no place in the housing market. This is why we asked the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate potential mis-selling of homes and unfair terms in the leasehold sector. The Government has welcomed the action to tackle potential mis-selling and unfair terms in the leasehold sector and wants to see homeowners who have been affected obtain the justice and redress they deserve.

The Government is committed to levelling up all parts of the UK. We will go further in putting money and power in local hands. Alongside the White Paper, we set out how Shropshire and other local areas will be empowered through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to invest in local priorities which will build pride in place and increase life chances. We also expect to launch the next round of the Levelling Up Fund this spring.

Finally, the White Paper sets out for the first time a clear framework for devolution in England, supporting areas to develop devolution proposals which demonstrate effective leadership and sensible geography.

Levelling up is for all parts of the UK, including rural areas. Building on the Levelling Up White Paper, we will publish the second report on rural proofing in England this spring, setting out how government departments are working to support levelling up in rural areas and how we are strengthening the rural economy, developing rural infrastructure, delivering rural services and managing the natural environment. Rural areas in particular will also benefit from the Government’s mission to reach nationwide gigabit capable-broadband and 4G coverage by 2030.

As well as the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, of which details were published alongside the White Paper, we expect to launch the next round of the Levelling Up Fund this spring, with further details to be announced soon. Further, the White Paper sets out a clear framework for devolution in England, supporting all areas, including rural counties, to develop devolution proposals which demonstrate effective leadership and sensible geography.

I recognise the importance of ensuring new housing development is supported by the provision of infrastructure and appropriate services. Local authorities have responsibilities for planning for local development and the infrastructure to support it. The resources available include grant funding, loan finance, developer contributions and council tax.

At the 2021 Spending Review, the Government announced a £1.8 billion package of investment to regenerate communities and level up the country, unlocking up to 160,000 new homes in total. This includes £1.5 billion to regenerate underused land and deliver transport links and community facilities.

Contributions from developers also play an important role in delivering the infrastructure to support communities and local economies. The Government is exploring the creation of a new ‘Infrastructure Levy’ to replace the existing system of developer contributions. This would deliver more of the infrastructure these communities require by capturing a greater share of the uplift in land value that comes with development.

New development will increase the council tax base for local authorities, supporting the delivery of services. Other Government Departments may also provide funding, to support the expansion and ongoing delivery of services, in line with their wider approach to capital and resource spending.

The provisional Local Government Settlement for 2022-23 makes available an additional £3.5 billion to councils. This is an increase in local authority funding for 2022-23 of over 4% in real terms, which will ensure councils across the country have the resources they need to deliver key services.

My policy is to support a plan-led system which engages communities and gives a clear indication of what will happen where. There will be some circumstances where development is appropriate on other sites – for example where plans are out of date or new regeneration opportunities arise – which is why plans need to be reviewed regularly. I am considering how further reform of planning could support the preparation of timely, accessible and effective plans.

The average time taken by the OPG to register Lasting Powers of Attorneys (LPAs) between 1^st June 2021 and 31^st May 2022 was 73 days. The average processing time during 1^st June 2018 to 31^st May 2019 was 39 days. OPG’s target to register LPAs is 40 days. It should be noted that OPG must carry out checks on receipt of the LPA before notices are issued, and then must observe a statutory waiting period of 4 weeks to allow for objections before the registration process can be completed. This statutory waiting period cannot be waived and is included in the calculation for the number of days to register an LPA. OPG know that delays are frustrating for customers, and they are committed to reducing the time it is currently taking to register LPAs.