Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the report entitled Independent Water Commission: review of the water sector, published on 3 June 2025, and what steps he is taking to tackle those issues.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is clear that transformative change is needed across the water sector, and will be carefully considering Sir Jon’s preliminary conclusions as outlined in the interim report published on 3 June.

The Government will respond to the findings in full once the Commission has produced its final report later this summer. Our response will include a detailed transition plan for the water sector, which will form the basis of future legislation to reset the sector and attract the investment we need to ensure its resilience for decades to come.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is considering for improving the ecological health of (a) the River Avon, (b) its tributaries and (c) other rivers in Wiltshire, in the context of the Independent Water Commission Interim Report, published on 3 June 2025.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is clear that transformative change is needed across the water sector, and will be carefully considering Sir Jon’s preliminary conclusions as outlined in the interim report published on 3 June.

The Government will respond to the findings in full once the Commission has produced its final report later this summer. Our response will include a detailed transition plan for the water sector, which will form the basis of future legislation to reset the sector and attract the investment we need to ensure its resilience for decades to come.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the interim findings of the Independent Review of the Regulation of the Water Industry in England, published on 3 June 2025.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is clear that transformative change is needed across the water sector, and will be carefully considering Sir Jon’s preliminary conclusions as outlined in the interim report published on 3 June.

The Government will respond to the findings in full once the Commission has produced its final report later this summer. Our response will include a detailed transition plan for the water sector, which will form the basis of future legislation to reset the sector and attract the investment we need to ensure its resilience for decades to come.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase the (a) physical and (b) workforce capacity of radiology departments for (i) CT and (ii) MRI scanners.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services, including investment in new magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.

As announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, £1.65 billion of capital will be investment in 2025/26 to support NHS performance across secondary and emergency care, including funding for new diagnostic scanners.

The Government is continuing to invest in community diagnostic centres (CDCs) to expand diagnostic capacity, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. 169 CDCs are currently operational, and have delivered nearly 14 million additional diagnostic tests since July 2021, as per latest published data, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/cdc-management-information/

Our Elective Reform Plan committed to building up to five new CDCs, as well as expanding existing CDCs and increasing opening hours.

In addition, the Government is backing the NHS with over £4 billion in operational capital in 2025/26, enabling systems to allocate funding to local priorities such as replacement diagnostic and radiotherapy equipment.

We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again. This will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills, including in radiology departments, to deliver the care patients need when they need it.

As of February 2025, there are 5,859 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of clinical radiology in NHS trusts and other core organisations in England. This is 223, or 4.0%, more than in 2024 and 1,244, or 26.9%, more than in 2020. There are also 22,599 FTE therapeutic and diagnostic radiographers working in NHS trusts and other core organisations in England in February 2025. This is 1,140, or 5.3%, more than in 2024 and 4,606, or 25.6%, more than in 2020. Data on the NHS workforce is published by NHS England monthly, and is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to increase the number of radiologists.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are committed to training the staff we need, including radiologists, to ensure that patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.

We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where the need is greatest.

To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of the Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision. We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking through the criminal justice system to help tackle the abuse of older people.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government is clear that violence and abuse towards anybody is unacceptable. Whilst anybody can suffer from domestic abuse, for older victims, we know that abuse may be more disguised or compounded by other age-related factors, such as ill health, or through other forms such as economic abuse.

In recognition of this, the Home Office provides funding to Hourglass, a specialist elder abuse charity, and has done so for a number of years, and have increased their funding this year, to enhance their helpline, provide casework support, and train specialist Independent Domestic Violence Advisers. We remain committed to tackling all forms of violence and abuse.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to commemorate UN World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on 15 June 2025.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government is clear that violence and abuse towards anybody is unacceptable. Whilst anybody can suffer from domestic abuse, for older victims, we know that abuse may be more disguised or compounded by other age-related factors, such as ill health, or through other forms such as economic abuse.

In recognition of this, the Home Office provides funding to Hourglass, a specialist elder abuse charity, and has done so for a number of years, and have increased their funding this year, to enhance their helpline, provide casework support, and train specialist Independent Domestic Violence Advisers. We remain committed to tackling all forms of violence and abuse.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the workforce census reports by the Royal College of Radiologists, published on 5 June 2025, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the age at which clinical (a) oncologists and (b) radiologists are leaving the NHS workforce.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, to ensure the retention of our hardworking and dedicated staff, including oncologists and radiologists.

The Government recognises that a cancer-specific approach is needed to meet the challenges in cancer care, and to improve outcomes for people living with cancer. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients. We will continue to ensure that we train the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it, and the cancer plan will reflect this.

NHS England continues to lead on a range of initiatives to boost retention, including supporting staff wellbeing, focusing on improving organisational culture, and promoting flexible working opportunities. Partial retirement is now also available as an alternative to full retirement, enabling NHS staff, with the agreement of their employer, to draw down some or all their pension whilst continuing to work and build up further pension, subject to a reduction in pensionable pay.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to reduce the number of clinical (a) radiologists and (b) oncologists who leave the workforce below the age of 50.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, to ensure the retention of our hardworking and dedicated staff, including oncologists and radiologists.

The Government recognises that a cancer-specific approach is needed to meet the challenges in cancer care, and to improve outcomes for people living with cancer. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients. We will continue to ensure that we train the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it, and the cancer plan will reflect this.

NHS England continues to lead on a range of initiatives to boost retention, including supporting staff wellbeing, focusing on improving organisational culture, and promoting flexible working opportunities. Partial retirement is now also available as an alternative to full retirement, enabling NHS staff, with the agreement of their employer, to draw down some or all their pension whilst continuing to work and build up further pension, subject to a reduction in pensionable pay.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding his Department provides to support pig farmers in transitioning away from farrowing crates to free-farrowing systems.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The use of farrowing crates and other close confinement systems for farmed animals is an issue which the department is currently considering very carefully. At present there is no Government funding available to support pig farmers in transitioning away from farrowing crates to free-farrowing systems.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of grants for farmers to support (a) sustainable and (b) regenerative agricultural practices in Wiltshire.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding. Further details about the reformed SFI offer will be announced following the spending review in summer 2025.

We plan to launch the new Higher Tier scheme later this year; Capital Grants will re-open in summer 2025; we continue to move forward with Landscape Recovery; we are increasing payment rates for Higher Level Stewardship agreement holders to recognise their ongoing commitment to delivering environmental outcome; and we are making £110 million available for new grant competitions to support research and innovation, technology and equipment for farmers.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support flood resilience in (a) Chippenham and (b) other towns; and whether his Department is taking steps to work with local authorities to develop climate adaptation plans for rural areas.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environment Agency (EA) is working with local partners on options to take forward the Chippenham Avon Project. In addition, the EA is working with Wiltshire Council on the Wiltshire Rural Runoff Project to improve understanding of the causes of flooding and to look for potential interventions to reduce the impacts of rural flooding.

In 2024, as part of the fourth round of reporting under the Adaptation Reporting Power, we worked with 18 English local authorities to support local reporting of climate risks and adaptation.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the level of risk of insolvency to Thames Water following the withdrawal of KKR; and whether he has made an estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of this event.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The company remains stable, and the Government is closely monitoring the situation. As the company has set out, it will continue to work with its creditors and stakeholders as part of its equity raise to improve its financial position.

The Government is prepared for all eventualities across our regulated industries- including water - as any responsible Government would be, and stands ready to intervene through the use of a Special Administration Regime, should this be required to ensure the continued provision of vital public services.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the financial matters of a private company.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency plans his Department has in place following the collapse of the proposed equity injection into Thames Water by KKR.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The company remains stable, and the Government is closely monitoring the situation. As the company has set out, it will continue to work with its creditors and stakeholders as part of its equity raise to improve its financial position.

The Government is prepared for all eventualities across our regulated industries- including water - as any responsible Government would be, and stands ready to intervene through the use of a Special Administration Regime, should this be required to ensure the continued provision of vital public services.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the financial matters of a private company.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of allocating marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar in non-English GCSE subjects on students with dyslexia.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for Chippenham to the answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 57812.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the publication entitled Skills England: Sector evidence on the growth and skills offer, published in June 2025, what steps her Department is taking to ensure vocational pathways are presented to young people on an equal basis to university routes.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The publication referred to sets out Skills England‘s findings from its analysis and engagement with sectors on the growth and skills offer, supported by its assessments of skills needs. Skills England and the department will work together to ensure the offer meets the needs of employers across the country.

Widening the apprenticeships offer into a growth and skills offer, including new foundation apprenticeships, will give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working life.

The department is investing in, and promoting, a wide range of non-academic routes to support young people into employment, including:

• T Levels, a high-quality technical education option for young people, including a valuable workplace industry placement which prepares them work.

• Higher Technical Qualifications, occupation-focused level 4-5 qualifications, approved and quality marked as providing the skills demanded in the workplace by employers.

• Skills Bootcamps, which give learners the chance to build sector-specific skills and include with a job interview on completion.

• Free Courses for Jobs, giving learners the chance to access high value level 3 qualifications.

There is also strengthened legislation to ensure all secondary pupils have multiple opportunities for meaningful encounters with providers of technical education and apprenticeships.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) improve the academic outcomes of students with learning difficulties in Wiltshire.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

For too long the education and care system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve. This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department and NHS England have been supporting local areas to improve their SEND service delivery for a number of years. This includes a monitoring, support and challenge relationship following an inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Where a local authority does not meet its duties, we can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement.

Wiltshire’s Ofsted and CQC Local Area SEND inspection, carried out in October 2024, identified positive experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

The report, which was published on 6 December 2024, included no Areas for Priority Action and highlighted that children and young people with SEND typically benefit from personalised provision delivered by dedicated staff from across education, health and social care, and when children and young people transition into school practitioners have a shared vision and commitment to inclusion.

Officials from the department and NHS England meet regularly with partners from the local area, including health, education, agencies, parent/carer, children and young people representatives, to review and reflect on the SEND services.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve support for SMEs to take on apprentices.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

I refer the hon. Member for Chippenham to the answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37179.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate his Department has made of the proportion of sows in the UK kept in farrowing crates in each of the last five years.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra does not hold official data, however, for the last five years estimates have consistently maintained that 60% of the UK breeding herd were kept indoors with the vast majority of sows using farrowing crates to give birth. The remaining 40% farrow freely on outdoor units with no option for confinement.

Recent industry estimates suggest that the number of sows kept indoors has declined to 50%. Of these, around 8% of the British indoor pig herd were reported to be flexibly farrowed where the sow can be confined on a temporary basis and for a limited period.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications have been received under the 2025 round of animal health and welfare grants; and what proportion of these applications have been approved in Wiltshire.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF 25) opened for applications on the 29 May this year and will close at midday on 10 July 2025. The application process is ongoing; therefore, applications have not been approved at this stage.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to launch a public consultation on the future use of farrowing crates in the UK.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 April 2025 to the hon. Member for Birmingham Northfield, PQ 41698.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure timely reporting of suspected animal cruelty incidents to the Animal and Plant Health Agency; and whether guidance is issued to (a) industry and (b) the public on how and when to report.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

There is newly published guidance on what and how to report animal welfare
concerns in England (Report farm animal welfare concerns - GOV.UK); additional contact details are available at the top of the APHA contact list on GOV.UK.

For England and Wales, there is a telephone number which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In Scotland, people can call their local APHA field service office.

People should contact APHA immediately with concerns about farm animals being neglected, abused or mistreated. If the concern about the welfare of farm animals is not urgent, they can email APHA at customeradvice@apha.gov.uk.

APHA leads on responding to animal welfare concerns in livestock. For concerns about wild animals or pets, people can contact their local council, private veterinary surgeon or wildlife rescue centre.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of using degree classification as an eligibility criterion for teacher training bursaries in shortage subjects.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Initial teacher training (ITT) bursaries are designed to incentivise more applications to ITT courses from high-achieving graduates. As such, for postgraduate bursaries, we take account of the grade of the trainee’s highest academic qualification. These bursaries are only awarded to trainees with at least a 2:2 undergraduate degree classification, unless the trainee possesses a higher academic qualification, such as a doctoral or master’s degree.

Graduates who do not hold a 2:2 degree can apply for student finance in the form of a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan to support their living costs. Additional funding is also available depending on individual circumstances, such as the childcare grant.

Subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses are designed to provide candidates for ITT with the minimum knowledge required to train to teach their chosen subject. Completion of a SKE course is not a requirement for all ITT candidates. The ITT provider determines whether it is requirement of the candidate’s offer after assessing their prior subject knowledge. Completion of SKE is not a factor in postgraduate ITT bursary eligibility.

ITT providers determine whether their trainees are eligible for a bursary, using the eligibility criteria set by the department. The department only holds data on trainees who are eligible for bursaries, alongside data on the overall number of trainees by subject and ITT provider. The department does not hold data on why trainees were ineligible for a bursary.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the completion of a Subject Knowledge Enhancement course is considered as part of the eligibility criteria for postgraduate teacher training bursaries.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Initial teacher training (ITT) bursaries are designed to incentivise more applications to ITT courses from high-achieving graduates. As such, for postgraduate bursaries, we take account of the grade of the trainee’s highest academic qualification. These bursaries are only awarded to trainees with at least a 2:2 undergraduate degree classification, unless the trainee possesses a higher academic qualification, such as a doctoral or master’s degree.

Graduates who do not hold a 2:2 degree can apply for student finance in the form of a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan to support their living costs. Additional funding is also available depending on individual circumstances, such as the childcare grant.

Subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses are designed to provide candidates for ITT with the minimum knowledge required to train to teach their chosen subject. Completion of a SKE course is not a requirement for all ITT candidates. The ITT provider determines whether it is requirement of the candidate’s offer after assessing their prior subject knowledge. Completion of SKE is not a factor in postgraduate ITT bursary eligibility.

ITT providers determine whether their trainees are eligible for a bursary, using the eligibility criteria set by the department. The department only holds data on trainees who are eligible for bursaries, alongside data on the overall number of trainees by subject and ITT provider. The department does not hold data on why trainees were ineligible for a bursary.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that every child has access to a library in areas of high disadvantage.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

All children should have the opportunity to access books and other resources to support their learning and enjoyment.

Public libraries are delivered by local government in accordance with the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. Local authorities must have regard to encouraging both adults and children to make full use of the library service and keeping adequate stocks sufficient in number, range and quality to meet the needs of their communities.

Public libraries are free to join and there are over 2,500 static statutory libraries in England, found in every type of community, including 30 in Wiltshire. The government is committed to getting local government back on its feet. The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase on 2024-25.

School libraries complement public libraries by giving pupils access to a range of books and other kinds of texts, both in and out of school. Individual schools will decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils and headteachers have autonomy to decide how best to spend the core schools funding that is allocated to them by government. School funding is increasing by £3.7 billion in 2025-26, meaning that core school funding will total £65.3 billion compared to £61.6 billion in 2024-25. Following the Spending Review announcement, core schools funding, including SEND investment, will increase from £65.3bn in 2025-26 to £69.5bn by 2028-29.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of trends in the level of compliance among individuals offering pet services via online platforms with the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 regulate commercial activity in relation to selling animals as pets; providing for, or arranging for, the provision of boarding for cats or dogs; hiring out horses; dog breeding and keeping or training animals for exhibition. Anyone conducting these activities as a business needs a valid licence. Licensees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences.

Local authorities provide a statutory annual data return including information on the number of licences issued, varied and revoked by local authorities for each activity. Returns are published here.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the regional distribution of ineligible applicants for teacher training bursaries based on degree classification; and how many ineligible applicants there were in Wiltshire in each of the last five years.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Initial teacher training (ITT) bursaries are designed to incentivise more applications to ITT courses from high-achieving graduates. As such, for postgraduate bursaries, we take account of the grade of the trainee’s highest academic qualification. These bursaries are only awarded to trainees with at least a 2:2 undergraduate degree classification, unless the trainee possesses a higher academic qualification, such as a doctoral or master’s degree.

Graduates who do not hold a 2:2 degree can apply for student finance in the form of a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan to support their living costs. Additional funding is also available depending on individual circumstances, such as the childcare grant.

Subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses are designed to provide candidates for ITT with the minimum knowledge required to train to teach their chosen subject. Completion of a SKE course is not a requirement for all ITT candidates. The ITT provider determines whether it is requirement of the candidate’s offer after assessing their prior subject knowledge. Completion of SKE is not a factor in postgraduate ITT bursary eligibility.

ITT providers determine whether their trainees are eligible for a bursary, using the eligibility criteria set by the department. The department only holds data on trainees who are eligible for bursaries, alongside data on the overall number of trainees by subject and ITT provider. The department does not hold data on why trainees were ineligible for a bursary.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department holds data on the tax gap disaggregated by (a) local authority and (b) parliamentary constituency.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimates the size of the tax gap, which is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid. The tax gap statistics and details of the estimate methodologies are published annually and are available at: Measuring tax gaps 2024 edition: tax gap estimates for 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK.

HMRC does not estimate the tax gap by local authority or by parliamentary constituency.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many full-time equivalent MS specialist nurses are employed by the NHS in England; and steps he plans to take to increase their number.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold information on the number of full time equivalent multiple Sclerosis (MS) nurses employed in the National Health Service in England.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) sets the standards for nurse education. There is no NMC requirement for specific post-graduate education for nurses working with those with MS; however, the education and practice learning that prepares nurses to join the register covers learning outcomes to support good care.

Local employers will plan the specialist nurse workforce they require to meet population needs. The NHS funds several post registration education programmes that supports the development of the knowledge and skills required in practice. Each nurse working in the NHS also has access to a continuing professional development budget of £1,000 over three years to enable them to develop their knowledge and skills.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure access to (a) cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator modulator therapies and (b) other cystic fibrosis treatments in rural parts of Wiltshire.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations on whether licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service in England based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE.

In July 2024, NICE approved three disease modifying treatments, Orkambi, Symkevi, and Kaftrio, as treatment options for eligible NHS patients with cystic fibrosis, under the terms of a commercial agreement reached between NHS England and the manufacturer, Vertex. These treatments are now routinely funded by the NHS in England for eligible patients.

NICE is also currently developing guidance for the NHS on whether vanzacaftor-tezacaftor-deutivacaftor can be recommended for routine funding for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. NICE is expecting to publish final guidance in August 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Orphan Drug Regulations in stimulating innovation in treatments for pancreatic cancer.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Human Medicines Regulations include specific incentives to support orphan medicines, designed to encourage the development of medicines for rare diseases. The regulations enable the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to grant orphan designation to a medicine intended for the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a rare condition. This orphan designation provides the product with a period of market exclusivity for the specified condition, preventing similar competitor medicines from entering the market during this time. Pancreatic cancer can be considered as falling under the definition of the rare diseases.

The MHRA further supports developers of orphan medicines by offering a full or partial refund of the marketing authorisation fee following a positive orphan designation. There is evidence that the regulations for orphan medicines do support development, with around 150 medicines successfully developed and authorised for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of rare diseases and given a United Kingdom orphan designation.

The MHRA will continue to review its approach to orphan medicines and, where necessary, propose updates to the criteria to further encourage research into rare diseases and improve patient outcomes.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of PIP decisions for people with MS have been overturned on appeal in the last five years, by region.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

For the proportion of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) New Claim and DLA reassessment decisions, for claimants with MS as main medical condition, overturned at appeal stage by region for the last five Financial Years, see Table 1 below.

Table 1: the percentage of PIP New Claim and DLA reassessment decisions, for claimants with MS as main medical condition, overturned at appeal stage by region for the last five Financial Years

For the proportion of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Award Review and Change of Circumstances decisions, for claimants with MS as main medical condition, overturned at appeal stage by region for the last five Financial Years, see Table 2 below.

Table 2: the percentage of PIP Award Review and Change of Circumstances decisions, for claimants with MS as main medical condition, overturned at appeal stage by region for the last five Financial Years

Source(s): PIP Administrative Data

Notes:

• Figures for England and Wales only.
• Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
• These figures include appeal clearances and decisions for PIP New Claims, Reassessments, Award Reviews and Change of Circumstances. These figures include appeals cleared from April 2019 to December 2024, in line with latest PIP statistics Personal Independence Payment: Clearance/Outstanding Times and Customer Journey Statistics to January 2025, England & Wales (XLS).
• Appeals data has been taken from DWP PIP customer system’s management information. Therefore, this appeal data may differ from that held by His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service for various reasons such as delays in data recording and other methodological differences in collating and preparing statistics.
• This data is unpublished data. It should be used with caution, and it may be subject to future revision.
• Figures include appeals overturns following tribunal hearing and lapsed appeals.
• A lapsed appeal is where DWP changed the decision in the customer’s favour after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at a tribunal hearing.
• An overturned appeal is where the decision was changed in the customer’s favour after an appeal was lodged and was heard at tribunal hearing.
• Appeals can have their decision upheld or may also be withdrawn by the claimant. These are not included in the above tables.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to publish the findings of the 2025 Dentistry Cost Survey.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

A dental cost survey was launched on 13 May 2025 to conduct further research on the costs of running dental practices in England. The aim of the survey is to provide an accurate understanding of the costs and pressures facing the dental sector.

The findings of the 2025 Dentistry Cost Survey will be published following the conclusion of the project.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of long-term water supply resilience in (a) the South West of England and (b) Wiltshire.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

South West Water recently received permission from Defra to publish and implement its Water Resources Management plan. Wessex Water and Bristol Water published their plans in 2024.

Key to achieving sustainable water resources, will be the development of a range of Strategic Resource Options, and improved water demand management. The plans covering the South West region show companies are planning to build new reservoirs, including new reservoirs at Cheddar and East Mendips. South West Water is currently building a new desalination plant in Cornwall. For Wiltshire, the most significant of these involves the development of a new reservoir in the Mendips, providing confidence in supplies well into the future.

Improved investment is allowing water companies to improve drought resilience, and they will be able to cope with a 1:500 year drought by 2040, ensuring a high level of resilience.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential cost to the public purse of not insuring Government debt repayments against inflation.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government’s financing strategy is designed to align with the Debt Management Objective, which is to minimise over the long term, the cost of meeting the Government’s financing needs, taking account of risk, while ensuring that debt management policy is consistent with the aims of monetary policy. To meet its financing requirement for each financial year, the government issues an appropriate balance of conventional and index-linked gilts over a range of maturities. Issuing index-linked gilts has historically brought cost advantages for the government due to strong investor demand and has historically helped to underscore the credibility of the government’s commitment to low and stable inflation. As set out in HM Treasury’s Debt Management Report 2025-26, analysis by the Debt Management Office shows that, for gilts that matured since their introduction in 1981 but prior to January 2025, the government generated direct savings of around £90.8 billion in total from the issuance of index-linked gilts if valued at maturity, or £184.7 billion in 2025 terms.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in Wiltshire will receive the Winter Fuel Payment under the new income threshold.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Winter Fuel Payments are £200 for a household with someone of State Pension age and £300 for a household with someone aged 80 or over. They will be paid automatically to anyone who has not opted out. Individuals with a taxable income above £35,000 a year Winter Fuel Payments will be recouped via HMRC.

This means that the majority of pensioners in England and Wales – over three quarters, or around 9 million individuals – will now benefit from Winter Fuel Payments, making it better targeted than the previous near-universal payment.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average time taken is between suspected incidents of animal cruelty and the receipt of those reports by the Animal and Plant Health Agency in the last 12 months.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is not keeping records of time between suspected incidents of animal cruelty and the receipt of those reports by the Agency; consequently, this information is not held by Defra. However, over the last 12 months there have been instances where activist groups have been collecting evidence over long periods of time and APHA has not been informed until the exposés were made public.

This information is not held by Defra. We urge anyone having concerns of farm animals being neglected, abused, or mistreated to contact APHA immediately and – in all circumstances- without undue delays. For England and Wales, there is a telephone number which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In Scotland, people can call their local APHA field service office.

Guidance on how to report animal welfare concerns in England is available on Gov.uk Report farm animal welfare concerns - GOV.UK; the full list of contact details including Wales and Scotland is available on the following page Contact APHA - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in Wiltshire were eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment in winter 2024-25 but did not receive it.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The next release of Winter Fuel Payment statistics will cover 2024/25 and will be published on 16 September 2025. The latest data on Winter Fuel Payment caseload is available here: Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of levels of (a) recruitment and (b) retention of radiologists within the NHS.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No recent assessment has been made. We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places, including for radiology, meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where the need is greatest.

To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of the Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision. We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of high-efficacy treatments for relapsing-remitting MS on the NHS.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, which has recommended a number of new medicines for use in the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) that are now routinely available for use in the treatment of NHS patients.

Most recently, in April 2025, NICE recommended cladribine for treating active relapsing-remitting forms of MS. In December 2024, NICE had already recommended ublituximab for treating relapsing-remitting MS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish waiting times for ADHD assessment by region; and what steps he is taking to help Integrated Care Boards with the longest waits reduce those waiting times.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for assessment and diagnosis for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for individual organisations by regions in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, it may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.

For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan; it has also released technical guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) to improve recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits data and publishing more localised data in future.

NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is bringing together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report is expected to be published shortly, with the final report expected in the summer. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support local systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of trends in waiting times for ADHD assessments in (a) children and (b) adults in the last five years; and what steps he is taking to reduce these delays.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service, published in September 2024, highlighted the severe delays for accessing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments and that demand for assessments for ADHD has grown significantly in recent years.

NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is bringing together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim is expected to be published shortly, with the final report expected in summer 2025.

For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan; it will soon release technical guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) to improve recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits data. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the minimum unit of dental activity value to £35; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on incentivising dentists to stay in the NHS while a new dental contract is being developed.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

From 1 April 2024, the Department raised the minimum Unit of Dental Activity (UDA) rate to £28 to support practices with historically low UDA rates, benefitting 876 contracts. Integrated care boards (ICBs) have the flexibility to influence the UDA rate locally, which may help to support local interventions, and there are differential UDA rates across England. Differential UDA rates allow providers to use differing pay rates to reflect the local market rates.

More broadly, the Government is committed to reforming the dental contract and will not wait to make improvements to the current system where these can increase access and incentivise the workforce to deliver more National Health Service care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the implementation plan for the upcoming 10-year health plan will include steps to reform NHS dental contracts.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The 10-Year Health Plan will set out the next steps the Government will take to rebuild dentistry in the long term.

We will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of National Health Service dentists. There are no perfect payment systems, and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system so that we deliver a system better for patients and the profession.

We are continuing to meet the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for NHS dental patients.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the update was of the Warm Home Discount Scheme in 2024 in each region.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The most recent uptake data for the Warm Home Discount is available in the publication: Warm Home Discount statistics, 2023 to 2024- gov.uk. The scheme for winter 2024/25 closed on 31 March 2025 and is expected to have supported over 3 million households. The Department will publish the official statistics for winter 2024/25 on 26 June 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to give dental (a) hygienists and (b) therapists NHS performer numbers in workforce (i) retention and (ii) access strategies.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

To work under a National Health Service primary care dental services contract, a dentist must join the NHS Dental Performers List. This is not a requirement for other members of the dental team, and the Government has no plans to change this.

Amendments to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 took effect on 26 June 2024, to allow dental hygienists and dental therapists to supply or administer specific medicines under exemptions, supporting them to work to their full scope of practice.

NHS England has issued guidance which includes information about training for those wishing to work under the exemptions. All education should be supported by a certificate as well as reflection for personal development. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/supply-and-administration-of-medicines-by-dental-hygienists-and-dental-therapists/#which-medicines-are-approved-for-supply-and-administration

This guidance also clarified that whilst dental therapists and dental hygienists do not have performer numbers, they can open and close NHS courses of treatment and provide further direct access to NHS care, where that care is within the General Dental Council’s Scope of Practice, if they are qualified, competent, and indemnified to do so.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the tax gap.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

At the Budget last autumn, the Government introduced the most ambitious package ever to close the tax gap, ensuring more individuals and businesses pay the taxes they owe and raising £6.5 bn in additional tax revenue per year by 2029-2030. At the Spring Statement, the Government built on this and announced a package of measures to further close the tax gap and raise over £1 billion more.

The announcements since the start of this Government will see 5,500 more compliance officers, alongside 2400 staff in HMRC’s debt management teams to ensure those who can afford to pay their tax debts do so.

The Government is also delivering on its commitments to prosecute more tax fraudsters, to introduce a new HMRC reward scheme for informants, to tackle ‘phoenixism’, and to overhaul HMRC’s approach to offshore tax non-compliance. The Government has also set out its plans to go further in the future to make it easier for taxpayers to pay the right tax through a modern and digital tax system.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take legislative steps to require platform providers to collect proof of (a) qualifications, (b) insurance and (c) local authority licenses from people offering pet (i) boarding or (ii) walking services on their platform.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 require anyone in the business of boarding cats and dogs to have a valid licence from their local authority. Licensees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities. There are no plans to make it mandatory for platforms to collect proof in relation to pet boarding or walking services.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department plans to take to help ensure prompt payment of the Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners in Wiltshire.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The vast majority of pensioners in England and Wales – around 9 million individuals - will now benefit from Winter Fuel Payments. No pensioner will need to take any action now as they will automatically receive the payment this winter, and for those with incomes above the threshold it will be automatically recovered via HMRC. Pensioners who want to opt out and not receive the payment at all, will be able to do so.

Announcing the increase in eligibility before the Summer recess and by paying all pensioners—except those who opt out—we are able to rely on established processes that can ensure prompt payments of Winter Fuel Payments for the coming winter.

Mandatory relationship education for 16 to 19-year-olds

Role of B Corporations in promoting sustainable business in rural communities

British companies and the transportation of Russian liquefied natural gas

Clean Air Day 2025

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month 2025

Disconnection of stolen phones

Harmful chemicals in period products

Press ownership by foreign states

Local authority funding

Role of relationship education in preventing violence against women and girls

International Women in Engineering Day

Contribution of technical colleges

Farmers, growers and the supermarket supply chain

Democracy in Hong Kong

Securing habitat for endangered swifts and other cavity nesting birds

UK Government recognition of the state of Palestine

Snares

Reinstatement of the Winter Fuel Payment

Carers Week 2025

Long covid in children and young people

World Cider Day 2025

Volunteers Week 2025

Dental provision in the South West

Devon Day 2025

Surrey Search and Rescue

Chinese Embassy

Wheelchair-accessible taxis

Opening of Pittyvaich Care Home

Unpaid Care Dashboard

Access to Electric Vehicle charging for social housing residents

20th anniversary of Midsomer Norton and Radstock Dial-a-Ride

National leadership and action on vascular and venous disease

Found: Q339 Sarah Gibson: One quick question on skills.

Found: Q339 Sarah Gibson: One quick question on skills.

Found: _NC9 Sarah Champion Sam Carling Helen Hayes Sarah Gibson .

Found: Wales.” 9 REPORT STAGE Wednesday 18 June 2025 _NC9 Sarah Champion Sam Carling Helen Hayes Sarah Gibson

Found: Wilson Steve Yemm Marie Goldman Lauren Edwards Lloyd Hatton Victoria Collins Mr Lee Dillon Sarah Gibson

Found: Miller Luke Murphy Dr Jeevun Sandher Shaun Davies Amanda Martin Steve Yemm Lloyd Hatton Sarah Gibson

Found: Wilson Juliet Campbell Dr Jeevun Sandher Shaun Davies Amanda Martin Steve Yemm Lloyd Hatton Sarah Gibson

Found: Wilson Juliet Campbell Dr Jeevun Sandher Shaun Davies Amanda Martin Steve Yemm Lloyd Hatton Sarah Gibson

Found: Wilson Juliet Campbell Dr Jeevun Sandher Shaun Davies Amanda Martin Steve Yemm Lloyd Hatton Sarah Gibson

Future of Financial Services APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Broxbourne) Linsey Farnsworth MP (Lab, Amber Valley) Helen McGuire MP (Lib Dem, Epsom & Ewell) Sarah Gibson

Future of Financial Services APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Sarah Gibson MP (Lib Dem, Chippenham) 13.