As this Parliament comes to an end, I too would like to begin by thanking you, Mr Speaker, for everything you have done and for the support you have given me as a Minister over the past six years. I would like to thank DCMS and my officials for all the work they have done, the special advisers, who have been superb, and my hard-working and effective ministerial team—we work as a team—and I am thankful for my engagement with the shadow Secretary of State.

It is really important that we support our young people. That is why we have a programme to build or refurbish up to 300 youth facilities, supporting 45,000 young people each year. To date, £250 million has been awarded to 227 organisations to build, renovate and expand youth provision.

The estimated number of people who financially benefited from the National insurance reduction in the Autumn Statement and Spring Budget and the associated financial gain for an average employee on £35,404 can be seen in Table 1 below:

Table 1: gain for an average employee on £35,404 from reductions to National Insurance announced in the Autumn Statement 2023 and Spring Budget 2024

The estimated average financial gain among those benefitting from both the Autumn Statement 2023 and Spring Budget 2024 National insurance reduction, by region, can be seen in the Table 2 below:

Table 2: average financial gain and cumulative gain from reductions to National Insurance announced in the Autumn Statement 2023 and Spring Budget 2024, by region

These are the modelled average impacts rather than the impacts for an average full time employee (on a given salary), for example the £900 gain previously published for the cumulative impacts.

The Autumn Statement 2023 National insurance reduction estimates are based upon the 2019 to 2020 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected in line with economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibilities November 2023 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

The Spring Budget 2024 National insurance reduction estimates and cumulative estimates of both policies are based upon the 2019 to 2020 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected in line with economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibilities March 2024 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

The estimated number of people who financially benefited from the National insurance reduction in the Autumn Statement and Spring Budget and the associated financial gain for an average employee on £35,404 can be seen in Table 1 below:

Table 1: gain for an average employee on £35,404 from reductions to National Insurance announced in the Autumn Statement 2023 and Spring Budget 2024

The estimated average financial gain among those benefitting from both the Autumn Statement 2023 and Spring Budget 2024 National insurance reduction, by region, can be seen in the Table 2 below:

Table 2: average financial gain and cumulative gain from reductions to National Insurance announced in the Autumn Statement 2023 and Spring Budget 2024, by region

These are the modelled average impacts rather than the impacts for an average full time employee (on a given salary), for example the £900 gain previously published for the cumulative impacts.

The Autumn Statement 2023 National insurance reduction estimates are based upon the 2019 to 2020 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected in line with economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibilities November 2023 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

The Spring Budget 2024 National insurance reduction estimates and cumulative estimates of both policies are based upon the 2019 to 2020 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected in line with economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibilities March 2024 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

The Valuation Office Agency’s Automated Valuation Model (AVM) methodology for Wales has been updated substantially since the cancelled 2007 English revaluation. The new AVM uses spatial modelling techniques of which location is a key element. The spatial model estimates a continuous field of location factors (which are influenced by various aspects such as transport links, crime rates, quality of nearby schools) rather than the discrete localities.

I would observe that this is a policy proposed by the Welsh Government, and does not represent the policy position of the UK Government in England.

I am happy to remind the House that last year we reached record numbers of police officers—in excess of 149,000, which was over 3,000 more than at the previous peak under the last Labour Government. In terms of local policing, we achieved 67,785 as of March last year.

The Welsh Government has commissioned the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to carry out a revaluation of all domestic property in Wales. To facilitate this, the VOA has built an Automated Valuation Model which has produced values for 1.46 million properties.

The following external datasets were used:

• Land Registry Price Paid data to supplement VOA sales data
• Land Registry Title Polygons and Ordnance Survey National Geographic Database for plot sizes for houses
• Ordnance Survey Master Map for building footprints for houses
• House Price Index to adjust sales in time
• National Statistics Postcode Lookup (NSPL) to incorporate Census Geography
• Ordnance Survey AddressBase Premium for latest property coordinate data
• Energy Performance Certificates

Additionally, as part of model development, sales verification was undertaken. VOA staff used a range of available data, such as aerial and street view photography, sales particulars, EPC certificates and Local Authority Planning websites to verify the usefulness of the sale.

The VOA has not collected additional codes over and above those already used within England and Wales.

I would observe that this is a policy proposed by the Labour Welsh Government, and does not represent the policy position of the UK Government in England.

The Welsh Government has commissioned the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to carry out a revaluation of all domestic property in Wales. To facilitate this, the VOA has built an Automated Valuation Model which has produced values for 1.46 million properties.

The following external datasets were used:

• Land Registry Price Paid data to supplement VOA sales data
• Land Registry Title Polygons and Ordnance Survey National Geographic Database for plot sizes for houses
• Ordnance Survey Master Map for building footprints for houses
• House Price Index to adjust sales in time
• National Statistics Postcode Lookup (NSPL) to incorporate Census Geography
• Ordnance Survey AddressBase Premium for latest property coordinate data
• Energy Performance Certificates

Additionally, as part of model development, sales verification was undertaken. VOA staff used a range of available data, such as aerial and street view photography, sales particulars, EPC certificates and Local Authority Planning websites to verify the usefulness of the sale.

The VOA has not collected additional codes over and above those already used within England and Wales.

I would observe that this is a policy proposed by the Labour Welsh Government, and does not represent the policy position of the UK Government in England.

The Welsh Government has commissioned the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to carry out a revaluation of all domestic property in Wales. To facilitate this, the VOA has built an Automated Valuation Model which has produced values for 1.46 million properties.

The following external datasets were used:

• Land Registry Price Paid data to supplement VOA sales data
• Land Registry Title Polygons and Ordnance Survey National Geographic Database for plot sizes for houses
• Ordnance Survey Master Map for building footprints for houses
• House Price Index to adjust sales in time
• National Statistics Postcode Lookup (NSPL) to incorporate Census Geography
• Ordnance Survey AddressBase Premium for latest property coordinate data
• Energy Performance Certificates

Additionally, as part of model development, sales verification was undertaken. VOA staff used a range of available data, such as aerial and street view photography, sales particulars, EPC certificates and Local Authority Planning websites to verify the usefulness of the sale.

The VOA has not collected additional codes over and above those already used within England and Wales.

I would observe that this is a policy proposed by the Labour Welsh Government, and does not represent the policy position of the UK Government in England.

The UK is working tirelessly to preserve stability in the Middle East and as such I have regular discussions with regional partners and our international allies including with NATO. These discussions cover a range of topics, including the conflict in Gaza and requirement for humanitarian assistance to our work with partners on protecting and deterring Houthi attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has developed an Automated Valuation Model in-house as part of its preparations for the proposed Council Tax Revaluation in Wales. I would observe that this is a policy proposed by the Labour Welsh Government, and does not represent the policy position of the UK Government in England.

The let contract relates to an independent audit of the VOA’s Automated Valuation Model, undertaken to ensure it meets expected international standards.

VOA used its own data, and already available data from third parties, for the model development, at no additional cost. To assist with the development process, the VOA let a short-term advisory contract with the Center for Appraisal Research and Technology (CART), budgeted at $6,000.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has developed an Automated Valuation Model in-house as part of its preparations for the proposed Council Tax Revaluation in Wales. I would observe that this is a policy proposed by the Labour Welsh Government, and does not represent the policy position of the UK Government in England.

The let contract relates to an independent audit of the VOA’s Automated Valuation Model, undertaken to ensure it meets expected international standards.

VOA used its own data, and already available data from third parties, for the model development, at no additional cost. To assist with the development process, the VOA let a short-term advisory contract with the Center for Appraisal Research and Technology (CART), budgeted at $6,000.

Since 2010, crime has fallen and so has reoffending, with the overall proven rate of reoffending down from over 31% in 2011-12 to 25% in 2021-22. That means that fewer innocent members of the public are suffering from the misery of falling victim to crime. We have gone further, building up initiatives including a new prison education service, expanded access to incentivised substance-free living wings for drug recovery, and the groundbreaking guarantee of 12 weeks’ post-release accommodation to secure that essential period of stability for offenders to turn their lives around.

The Procurement Act 2023 will deliver simpler and more effective public sector procurement, and it will help SMEs secure a greater share of approximately £300 billion of expenditure every year. The Act includes a new duty on contracting authorities to have regard to the particular barriers facing SMEs and to consider how they can be overcome.

The Government are committed to boosting economic growth across the UK and ensuring opportunity is spread as widely as possible. Education is the most significant lever to create opportunity and reduce inequality, and I am pleased that Conservative reforms have seen children in schools in England excel in the 2022 PISA—programme for international student assessment—scores. England significantly outperformed the average, rising from 27th for mathematics in 2009 to 11th this year, and from 25th for reading in 2009 to 13th this year.

We have already announced 12 Project Gigabit contracts to extend gigabit-capable networks in rural and hard-to-reach areas of the UK. More contracts are set to be announced shortly, from the extensive pipeline of procurements. Through the shared rural network programme, we are also jointly investing over £1 billion with the industry to encourage 4G mobile coverage to 95% of the UK landmass by the end of 2025.

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

Last month, we published a cross-Government five-year suicide prevention strategy. It sets out our pledge to reduce England’s suicide rates within two and a half years, with over 100 measures aimed at saving lives and providing early intervention for those at highest risk of suicide, including new mums and middle-aged men.