The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Southeastern is currently engaged in a live rolling stock procurement. Their full business case, with a recommended solution, is currently being taken through Department for Transport governance approvals required for investment decisions. I am not able to provide details on timescales until the procurement has concluded. Southeastern will ensure stakeholders and customers are informed accordingly as and when more information is available.

The Horticulture Sector Growth Plan is sector-led, using sector expertise to create evidence-based plans that set out a clear vision and pathway to deliver growth. Sector expert groups have determined the remit of the Horticulture plan based on their industry expertise.

Fresh peas and beans grown as horticultural crops are within the scope of the Plan. Legumes and pulses cultivated as arable crops, requiring processing or not for direct human consumption, are more aligned with the arable sector, and their interests will be considered through work with the arable sector.

The Home Office publishes data on the number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. This data is published on a quarterly basis and is not broken down by location. As such, figures on the number of UASC arriving specifically in Kent each month are not routinely published.

Published data does show:

• The total number of UASC by claim quarter in table Asy_D01 of the ‘Asylum claims and initial decisions datasets’.
• The number of UASC arriving via small boats by arrival quarter in table IER_D02 of the ‘Illegal entry routes datasets’.

Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.

The Government recognises the importance of raising awareness about the interconnectedness of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and kidney disease amongst healthcare professionals and the public.

To tackle unwarranted variation, support consistent, high-quality care across the cardiovascular disease pathway, and to support the Government’s ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) shortly. In developing the CVD MSF, we are reviewing evidence and engaging stakeholders on a range of pathway areas and risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

The NHS Health Check programme, a core component of England’s cardiovascular disease prevention programme, aims to detect people at risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease in those aged between 40 and 74 years old. The programme plays a key role in raising awareness and assessing the top risk factors associated with these conditions and refers people for further support through behavioural interventions, for example weight management, clinical assessment, and treatment where appropriate.

The NHS Health Check Best Practice Guidance assists healthcare professionals to understand, identify, and manage cardiovascular disease risk factors alongside National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, and how to communicate meaningful advice to patients following their health check.

The Government recognises the importance of raising awareness about the interconnectedness of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and kidney disease amongst healthcare professionals and the public.

To tackle unwarranted variation, support consistent, high-quality care across the cardiovascular disease pathway, and to support the Government’s ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) shortly. In developing the CVD MSF, we are reviewing evidence and engaging stakeholders on a range of pathway areas and risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

The NHS Health Check programme, a core component of England’s cardiovascular disease prevention programme, aims to detect people at risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease in those aged between 40 and 74 years old. The programme plays a key role in raising awareness and assessing the top risk factors associated with these conditions and refers people for further support through behavioural interventions, for example weight management, clinical assessment, and treatment where appropriate.

The NHS Health Check Best Practice Guidance assists healthcare professionals to understand, identify, and manage cardiovascular disease risk factors alongside National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, and how to communicate meaningful advice to patients following their health check.

The NHS Health Check is designed to assess the top risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and refer people to further support through behavioural interventions, for example weight management, clinical assessment, and treatment where appropriate.

Programme guidance encourages commissioners and their providers to adopt a proportionate universalist approach, to ensure that checks are delivered in a way that prioritises resources and effort towards engaging people at higher risk of CVD.

A 2021 review found that the NHS Health Check programme had largely achieved its aims, reaching two in five eligible people, including those at higher risk of CVD, and delivering better outcomes for attendees.

In response to the review recommendations, the Department has prioritised improving access to and uptake of the programme through the ongoing development of the NHS Health Check Online and the piloting of CVD checks in workplace settings during 2025.

We are making strong progress on expanding youth hubs, with around 130 already in operation across Great Britain. In March, I announced the locations that we want to open in this year, and I have just announced a further 180 locations for the following two years. The areas involved, including Harlow, Cardiff, Dartford and east Hertfordshire, will see new youth hubs opening in local sports clubs, libraries and other venues. Wherever MPs get a youth hub, I encourage them to work with their jobcentres and with local organisations to confirm venues and begin delivery of these important services.

I am delighted to see the enthusiasm for our reforms to school food. We want children to enjoy eating tasty, healthy food at school. That is why we are updating school food standards for the first time in a decade and putting young people’s voices at the heart of our plans. We will publish the new standards in September alongside our record expansion of free school meals, driving down poverty and delivering a revolution in school food.

We know that children and young people’s own experiences are key to shaping effective school food standards. To support this, we have been engaging with children and young people to understand what they eat at school, what they enjoy, and what they would like to see improved. We are working with youth organisations, such as the Food Foundation’s Young Food Ambassadors, to ensure that the consultation responses they submit capture the views of children and young people, helping us build a rounded picture of what matters to children in their day-to-day school life.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. The plan committed to introducing mandatory healthier food sales reporting for all large companies in the sector by the end of this Parliament. The plan also committed to introducing new targets to increase the healthiness of sales.

We intend to launch a full public consultation soon to gather a wide range of views on our proposals.

Specific implementation dates will be determined following consultation, and the intention is that the policy will be finalised and legislation laid so that reporting comes into force before the end of this Parliament, no later than 2029.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. The plan committed to introducing mandatory healthier food sales reporting for all large companies in the sector by the end of this Parliament. The plan also committed to introducing new targets to increase the healthiness of sales.

We intend to launch a full public consultation soon to gather a wide range of views on our proposals.

Specific implementation dates will be determined following consultation, and the intention is that the policy will be finalised and legislation laid so that reporting comes into force before the end of this Parliament, no later than 2029.

Through our Crime and Policing Act 2026 we have new and enhanced powers to enable local agencies to tackle antisocial behaviour offenders, and our neighbourhood policing guarantee has ensured that every police force in England and Wales now has a dedicated antisocial behaviour lead and a local action plan to crack down on offenders who blight our communities.

To support the improvement of playgrounds, the Government is providing the £18 million playgrounds fund. This fund is a targeted programme to improve children’s access to safe, inclusive, high‑quality local play spaces in communities where it has fallen furthest behind. £18 million over two years will support local authorities to buy new or refurbish up to 200 playgrounds across England, prioritising areas with high child deprivation and poor access to safe, local play space.

While the playgrounds fund is a dedicated pot, other sources of funding could be used for this purpose. This includes local authorities being able to draw from the most recent local government financial settlement, which is our most significant step yet to make English local government more sustainable. The government is making good on long overdue promises to fundamentally update the way we fund local authorities. We are delivering fairer funding, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade.

The Government’s Pride in Place Programme will also provide up to £5.8 billion over ten years to support 284 neighbourhoods identified as most in need. Each neighbourhood under the programme will be given up to £20 million of flexible funding and support. In each place, the local neighbourhood board will work with the community to decide how this funding is spent, which could include investment in local regeneration projects such as parks and playgrounds where these reflect local priorities.

We have received and since responded to the Hon. Member’s correspondence.

To accelerate progress on the Government’s ambition to reduce premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by 25% in the next ten years, we will publish a new Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) this spring. This will support consistent, high quality, and equitable prevention, diagnosis, and care across the cardiovascular pathway, including in neighbourhood health settings where care is planned and delivered around shared local populations.

Alongside the CVD MSF, as announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, Prevention Accelerators will focus on high-impact cardiovascular disease and diabetes interventions, and their impact on population health and demand for National Health Services, including elective and general practice appointments.

Beyond these initiatives, the Government and NHS England have also invested heavily in hypertension case-finding for those over 40 years old in community pharmacies. As part of the service, pharmacies have delivered nearly 4.2 million blood pressure and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring checks since October 2021.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline on cardiovascular disease: risk assessment and reduction, including lipid modification provides evidence-based guidance for healthcare professionals on lipid measurement. Healthcare professionals are expected to take NICE guidelines fully into account in the care and treatment of individual patients.

To tackle unwarranted variation and support consistent, high-quality care across the cardiovascular pathway, the Government will publish a new Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) later this year.

As part of this, the CVD MSF will identify the best-evidenced interventions and set clear standards on how they should be used, alongside a clear strategy to support and oversee uptake by clinicians and providers. This approach will help ensure greater consistency in the detection, assessment, and management of cardiovascular risk factors, such as cholesterol.