The Down Syndrome Act 2022 started as a Private Members Bill, introduced into the House of Commons in summer 2021. As such, this specific assessment has not been made.

A national call for evidence was launched on 19 July 2022 to inform the development of the statutory guidance required under the Down Syndrome Act. The call for evidence remained open for 16 weeks and received over 1,500 responses, including responses from people with Down syndrome, their families and carers, professionals, organisations, and stakeholder groups representing people with genetic conditions.

Officials are taking forward, as a priority, development of the Down Syndrome guidance. We expect to publish the draft guidance for public consultation as soon as possible in the new year.

An uplift to the per-meal rate for universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) and further education (FE) free meals was announced on 4 December 2024. The uplifted meal rate will be increased from £2.53 to £2.58 for 2024 to 2025, backdated to the start of the academic year.

To support the provision of benefits-related free school meals (FSM), the government provides funding at £490 per eligible FSM pupil per year as a factor value within the national funding formula. This value will be increasing to £495 per eligible FSM pupil in 2025/26. UIFSM and FE free meals are funded separately through a direct grant to schools and colleges. As with all government programmes, we will keep our approach, including for FSM, under continued review.

An uplift to the per-meal rate for universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) and further education (FE) free meals was announced on 4 December 2024. The uplifted meal rate will be increased from £2.53 to £2.58 for 2024 to 2025, backdated to the start of the academic year.

To support the provision of benefits-related free school meals (FSM), the government provides funding at £490 per eligible FSM pupil per year as a factor value within the national funding formula. This value will be increasing to £495 per eligible FSM pupil in 2025/26. UIFSM and FE free meals are funded separately through a direct grant to schools and colleges. As with all government programmes, we will keep our approach, including for FSM, under continued review.

The information requested is not held centrally. When children and young people between the ages of 14 and 17 years old enter the secure estate, they receive the Comprehensive Health Assessment Tool (CHAT) reception assessment within two hours. This is an evidence-based assessment tool for use with under 18-year-olds, and includes questions on traumatic brain injury. The questions included in the assessment ask whether they have ever experienced any loss of consciousness for over 30 minutes and whether they have experienced repeated loss of consciousness on more than three occasions.

The child or young person will receive a further neurodisability assessment within ten days of admission as part of the CHAT. This also includes questions on traumatic brain injury. Clinicians would then determine the need for any ongoing referral as necessary.

Those over the age of 18 years old who are entering the adult estate receive the reception assessment within 24 hours. This includes questions on whether they have disabilities and specifically asks:

• whether they have had a head injury in the past few days, and asks them to provide details about this; and
• whether they have been a victim of domestic abuse.

Practitioners are then asked to record whether a head injury is apparent or not and whether there is a history of loss of consciousness. Practitioners will also assess the severity of any potential head injury and whether any treatment is needed.

Within one week of entering the adult estate, a secondary assessment will be conducted. This includes questions about brain injury. As part of the secondary assessment, practitioners will:

• note the number of head injuries and number of losses of consciousness;
• note any memory or concentration impairments; and
• ask if the patient has ever lost consciousness for more than 20 minutes, and asks them to provide details about this.

It would then be the clinicians’ discretion as to whether to also carry out a validated acquired brain injury screening tool as required.

The information requested is not held centrally. When children and young people between the ages of 14 and 17 years old enter the secure estate, they receive the Comprehensive Health Assessment Tool (CHAT) reception assessment within two hours. This is an evidence-based assessment tool for use with under 18-year-olds, and includes questions on traumatic brain injury. The questions included in the assessment ask whether they have ever experienced any loss of consciousness for over 30 minutes and whether they have experienced repeated loss of consciousness on more than three occasions.

The child or young person will receive a further neurodisability assessment within ten days of admission as part of the CHAT. This also includes questions on traumatic brain injury. Clinicians would then determine the need for any ongoing referral as necessary.

Those over the age of 18 years old who are entering the adult estate receive the reception assessment within 24 hours. This includes questions on whether they have disabilities and specifically asks:

• whether they have had a head injury in the past few days, and asks them to provide details about this; and
• whether they have been a victim of domestic abuse.

Practitioners are then asked to record whether a head injury is apparent or not and whether there is a history of loss of consciousness. Practitioners will also assess the severity of any potential head injury and whether any treatment is needed.

Within one week of entering the adult estate, a secondary assessment will be conducted. This includes questions about brain injury. As part of the secondary assessment, practitioners will:

• note the number of head injuries and number of losses of consciousness;
• note any memory or concentration impairments; and
• ask if the patient has ever lost consciousness for more than 20 minutes, and asks them to provide details about this.

It would then be the clinicians’ discretion as to whether to also carry out a validated acquired brain injury screening tool as required.

The information requested is not held centrally. When children and young people between the ages of 14 and 17 years old enter the secure estate, they receive the Comprehensive Health Assessment Tool (CHAT) reception assessment within two hours. This is an evidence-based assessment tool for use with under 18-year-olds, and includes questions on traumatic brain injury. The questions included in the assessment ask whether they have ever experienced any loss of consciousness for over 30 minutes and whether they have experienced repeated loss of consciousness on more than three occasions.

The child or young person will receive a further neurodisability assessment within ten days of admission as part of the CHAT. This also includes questions on traumatic brain injury. Clinicians would then determine the need for any ongoing referral as necessary.

Those over the age of 18 years old who are entering the adult estate receive the reception assessment within 24 hours. This includes questions on whether they have disabilities and specifically asks:

• whether they have had a head injury in the past few days, and asks them to provide details about this; and
• whether they have been a victim of domestic abuse.

Practitioners are then asked to record whether a head injury is apparent or not and whether there is a history of loss of consciousness. Practitioners will also assess the severity of any potential head injury and whether any treatment is needed.

Within one week of entering the adult estate, a secondary assessment will be conducted. This includes questions about brain injury. As part of the secondary assessment, practitioners will:

• note the number of head injuries and number of losses of consciousness;
• note any memory or concentration impairments; and
• ask if the patient has ever lost consciousness for more than 20 minutes, and asks them to provide details about this.

It would then be the clinicians’ discretion as to whether to also carry out a validated acquired brain injury screening tool as required.

The information requested is not held centrally. When children and young people between the ages of 14 and 17 years old enter the secure estate, they receive the Comprehensive Health Assessment Tool (CHAT) reception assessment within two hours. This is an evidence-based assessment tool for use with under 18-year-olds, and includes questions on traumatic brain injury. The questions included in the assessment ask whether they have ever experienced any loss of consciousness for over 30 minutes and whether they have experienced repeated loss of consciousness on more than three occasions.

The child or young person will receive a further neurodisability assessment within ten days of admission as part of the CHAT. This also includes questions on traumatic brain injury. Clinicians would then determine the need for any ongoing referral as necessary.

Those over the age of 18 years old who are entering the adult estate receive the reception assessment within 24 hours. This includes questions on whether they have disabilities and specifically asks:

• whether they have had a head injury in the past few days, and asks them to provide details about this; and
• whether they have been a victim of domestic abuse.

Practitioners are then asked to record whether a head injury is apparent or not and whether there is a history of loss of consciousness. Practitioners will also assess the severity of any potential head injury and whether any treatment is needed.

Within one week of entering the adult estate, a secondary assessment will be conducted. This includes questions about brain injury. As part of the secondary assessment, practitioners will:

• note the number of head injuries and number of losses of consciousness;
• note any memory or concentration impairments; and
• ask if the patient has ever lost consciousness for more than 20 minutes, and asks them to provide details about this.

It would then be the clinicians’ discretion as to whether to also carry out a validated acquired brain injury screening tool as required.

We acknowledge the urgent challenge of ensuring that rural areas, including West Dorset, have the resources to continue serving their patients. To address this, we will increase capacity in general practice (GP) and ensure rural areas have the necessary workforce to provide integrated, patient-centred services.

We are committed to training thousands more GPs across the country, including in rural areas. We have also committed to recruiting over 1,000 newly qualified GPs through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, which will increase the number of appointments delivered in GPs. This will increase capacity, secure the future pipeline of GPs, and alleviate the pressure on those currently working in the system.

The new government has a central mission to break down barriers to opportunity for every child.

The government has inherited a trend of rising child poverty and widening attainment gaps between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their peers. Child poverty has increased by 700,000 since 2010, with over four million children now growing up in a low-income family. The government is committed to delivering an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty by tackling the root causes and giving every child the best start at life. To support this, a new ministerial taskforce has been set up to develop a Child Poverty Strategy, which will be published in spring 2025. The taskforce will consider a range of policies in assessing what will have the greatest impact in driving down rates of child poverty.

A formal assessment has not been made of the number of children living in relative poverty who are eligible to receive FSM. As with all policies, the government keeps the approach to FSM under review.

In December 2023, the Home Office published their estimated immigration impacts of the announced legal migration changes, including the restriction on bringing dependants for care workers and senior care workers. These are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/legal-migration-statement-estimated-immigration-impacts/legal-migration-statement-estimated-immigration-impacts-accessible

This was followed by the 2024 spring Immigration Rules: impact assessment published in September 2024, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-immigration-rules-impact-assessments/2024-spring-immigration-rules-impact-assessment-accessible

We have inherited ongoing global supply problems that continue to impact medicine availability. We know how frustrating and distressing this can be for patients, and we are working closely with industry, the National Health Service, manufacturers, and other partners in the supply chain to resolve issues as quickly as possible, to make sure patients can access the medicines they need.

Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated, and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues. There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines and the overwhelming majority are in good supply.

While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing NHS communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.

Ambulance services experiencing long delays when handing over patients to hospitals is a priority for the National Health Service to address, because it holds up ambulances that could be responding to further 999 calls.

The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Cornwall Hospital are working on improving ambulance handover times by supporting patients flow through the health and care system.

To support longer term urgent and emergency care performance, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, appointed Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of the NHS’ performance. The investigation’s findings were published on 12 September and will feed into the Government’s work on a 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.

It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating. The School Food Standards regulate the food and drink provided at lunchtime and at other times of the school day.

School governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations.

To support governors in their role around compliance, the department, along with the National Governance Association, is running a pilot online training course on school food for governors and trustees. This launched on 4 November 2024 and will run until 1 April 2025. This will help governors to improve their understanding of the standards and give governing boards confidence to hold their school leaders to account on their whole school approach to food. The department will evaluate the training programme’s reception and effectiveness in the short term.

Additionally, the department and the Food Standards Agency, along with support from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, ran a pilot with 18 local authorities during the 2022/23 academic year to find out whether food safety officers were able to ensure the compliance of School Food Standards when carrying out routine food hygiene inspections in schools. Analysis of the final phase has now been completed, and the final report was published August 2024.

We will keep our approach to the School Food Standards and our approaches to compliance under continued review.

It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating. The School Food Standards regulate the food and drink provided at lunchtime and at other times of the school day.

School governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations.

To support governors in their role around compliance, the department, along with the National Governance Association, is running a pilot online training course on school food for governors and trustees. This launched on 4 November 2024 and will run until 1 April 2025. This will help governors to improve their understanding of the standards and give governing boards confidence to hold their school leaders to account on their whole school approach to food. The department will evaluate the training programme’s reception and effectiveness in the short term.

Additionally, the department and the Food Standards Agency, along with support from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, ran a pilot with 18 local authorities during the 2022/23 academic year to find out whether food safety officers were able to ensure the compliance of School Food Standards when carrying out routine food hygiene inspections in schools. Analysis of the final phase has now been completed, and the final report was published August 2024.

We will keep our approach to the School Food Standards and our approaches to compliance under continued review.

The employer National Insurance contributions rise will be implemented in April 2025. The Department will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.

The Planning Inspectorate website states that the Norwich to Tilbury project is at the pre-application stage, and that the application is expected to be submitted for examination between June and August 2025. Information can be found here https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN020027. The Examining Authority’s Report should therefore come to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for decision in 2026. This project is therefore one of the Development Consent Order (DCO) decisions that would count towards the Prime Minister’s target of taking 150 DCO decisions in this Parliament.

ETSU-R-97 is the primary guidance used for the assessment of noise from onshore wind turbines across the UK. Government has contracted an external consultancy to update ETSU-R-97 following a 2023 scoping review which recommended targeted updates to ensure the guidance is in line with contemporary evidence and policy, and suitable for modern turbines. Government aims to publish the updated guidance in Spring 2025.

The UK’s 2030 nationally determined contribution – to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% on 1990s levels – is a fair and ambitious contribution to global action on climate change, in line with the Paris Agreement temperature goal. NDCs are international communications of ambition under the Paris Agreement, submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Alongside our international commitments, the UK was the first country to introduce a legally binding, long-term emissions reduction target under the Climate Change Act 2008. This framework includes the UK’s legislated 2050 net zero target, which the Climate Change Committee has confirmed is consistent with the trajectory of the UK’s 2030 NDC.

Officers have a wide range of leadership training available to them as they progress through the ranks.

All Ministry of Justice staff have access to a wide suite of cross-government training products available via Government Campus (part of Cabinet Office). These product topics include Coaching, Building your Team, and Career Development.

All Ministry of Justice staff also have access to two, four-day, intensive Leadership Schools per annum, focused on unlocking the potential to improve and transform their leadership capabilities. Leadership School provides keynote speeches, expert-led workshops, and in-depth peer reflection sessions, to ensure that leaders are equipped to use new capabilities in their roles.

In addition, MoJ HQ has developed a new HMPPS Leadership and Management Offer specifically for HMPPS staff (elements of this include the HMPPS People Manager Handbook and HMPPS People Manager Essentials Programme). HMPPS staff also have access to a wealth of free online resources on the myLearning Learning Management System.

There are several funded Leadership apprenticeships on offer for HMPPS staff, and a small number of leadership training interventions for HMPPS are provided by external providers.

The Spark Custodial scheme is an operational fast-track scheme for Public Sector Prisons, open to Operational Bands 2-4 and Non-Operational up to and including Band 6, that enables them to progress to Head of Function. The scheme lasts around 30 months for operational participants and 36 months for non-operational participants.