theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_59
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Ben Coleman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Digital Redbook pilot in London. \p Karin Smyth: The eRedbook product was commissioned by NHS England (London) for several years. A comprehensive evaluation was not undertaken, although registration volumes were reported. This has informed our ambition of a digital service to help parents and professionals access information and services to give children the best start in life. The NHS App will be central to delivering this ambition.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Ben Coleman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to implement the Digital Redbook nationally. \p Karin Smyth: We remain committed to transforming the way we deliver healthcare for parents and children and supporting the best start in life; digitisation of records is a key enabler of this.

The Department is working closely with officials in NHS England to ensure that plans for digitising the red book align with wider, ambitious plans for digitisation of patient records across the National Health Service. This will mean we deliver the benefits of a seamless experience for families as they access and manage their own health records and those of their children through the NHS App. Further information will be available in due course on the measures we are taking to deliver digital records for children.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Susan Murray:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of patients prescribed medicinal cannabis by (a) the NHS and (b) private clinics in the last 12 months. \p Karin Smyth: The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is only able to provide information on prescriptions for cannabis-based medicines that have been prescribed and submitted to the NHSBSA. Data on National Health Service prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis-based medicines is withheld in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation, due to the number of prescriptions attributed to fewer than five patients, and the enhanced risk of the release of patient identifiable information. Patient information is not routinely collected for private prescriptions.

The following table shows the number of identifiable patients that were prescribed NHS prescriptions for licensed cannabis-based medicines, for instance epidyolex, nabilone, and sativex, in the community in England in the 12 months, from February 2024 to January 2025, the latest available data:

Total items prescribed to identified patients

Total number of unique identified patients

5,413

880

Source: NHSBSA.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_62

Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to expand access to the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum cases in the South West. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England has carefully reviewed the evidence to treat pectus excavatum in patients. In an interim clinical commissioning urgent policy statement, NHS England concluded that there is enough evidence to make surgical treatment available as a routine commissioning treatment option for patients of all ages with pectus excavatum resulting in very severe physiological symptoms, including for patients in the South West. The criteria for the surgery is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/PRN00394-interim-clinical-commissioning-urgent-policy-statement-pectus-surgery.pdf
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to increase NHS capacity for winter 2025-26 in Fylde constituency. \p Karin Smyth: Local National Health Service winter resilience plans for the Flyde area specifically are an operational matter for NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) working in partnership with local NHS providers. The ICB’s planning for 2025/26 is ongoing, including the allocation of £24 million of capital funding to improve urgent and emergency care services.

At national level, we have communicated priorities for urgent and emergency care this year through the NHS England mandate and the operational planning guidance for 2025/26. We will shortly set out further actions and improvements to be taken this year to support urgent and emergency care services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure adequate funding for improvements to maternity wards in (a) Leicester East and (b) England. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England’s Three-Year Delivery plan is investing an additional £35 million between 2024 and 2027 to improve maternity safety across England.

University Hospital Leicester (UHL) remains determined to transform care for its growing population and radically upgrade its estate. As part of the New Hospitals Programme, UHL plans to build a new maternity hospital at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, alongside reorganising maternity and neonatal services. This includes improved facilities at Leicester General Hospital, with a midwife-led birthing unit. The trust is finalising new timelines and assessing the risks and mitigation of managing the current estate and service configuration.

NHS England will publish the findings of the National Health Service maternity and neonatal estates survey, which examined compliance against the current estates’ standards, and it will be published at the earliest opportunity.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made in the levels of of regional variations in waiting times for specialist migraine treatment. \p Karin Smyth: Whilst no specific assessment has been made, as of January 2025 there were almost 233,000 pathways waiting for a neurology appointment and 53.8% of neurology pathways were waiting within 18 weeks.

The Government is committed to tackling National Health Service waiting lists for patients and reducing variation across all regions, including patients awaiting specialist migraine treatment. We will ensure 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015. As a first step, we delivered an additional two million appointments between July and November 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, seven months ahead of schedule. This includes operations, consultations, diagnostic tests and treatments, including for neurology patients.

The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, commits to reforming elective care equitably and inclusively for all adults, children and young people to improve patient experience and waiting list performance and reduce regional variation, so that patients receive high quality care wherever they live.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the health risks for mothers giving birth to (a) twins and (b) multiples. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is determined to ensure that all women receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care and continues to work with the National Health Service as it delivers its three-year maternity and neonatal plan to achieve this.

The latest data shows that 1.4% of maternities result in multiple births, however pregnancies for twins and multiples are associated with significantly higher risks for stillbirth and preterm birth, and many multiples spend time in neonatal care. We are ensuring high quality care is implemented across England to improve these outcomes. The NHS is rolling out version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, which provides maternity units with detailed guidance to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injuries, neonatal deaths, and preterm births, including specific guidance for multiple pregnancies. This has been fully implemented by over 100 providers.

Additionally, last year, we launched a £50 million National Institute for Health and Care Research challenge fund to task researchers and policymakers with finding new ways to tackle poor pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether retired members of the NHS Pension Scheme who are eligible to make a choice to revert to legacy benefits can present evidence to the NHS Business Services Authority of financial difficulty for the purposes of making a choice to revert to legacy scheme benefits sooner. \p Karin Smyth: The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is prioritising the provision of remediable service statements to those cohorts of NHS Pension Scheme members affected by the public service pensions remedy, the McCloud remedy, who are most likely to receive higher pension benefits following their benefit choice.

Affected members do not need to present evidence either to receive a breakdown of information about their choice or to apply to receive a remediable service statement. A fast-track process is in place to which members meeting certain criteria can apply to receive a remediable service statement sooner.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, by what process the NHS Business Services Authority identifies retired members of the NHS Pension Scheme who are in the greatest financial difficulty for the purposes of inviting them to make an immediate choice on whether to revert to legacy scheme benefits sooner. \p Karin Smyth: The NHS Business Services Authority has identified NHS Pension Scheme members whose records indicate that they are more likely to have been affected by age discrimination during the McCloud remedy period. Factors considered in making this assessment include members’ transitional protection status and whether they have only claimed 1995 Scheme benefits. These members will be offered their choice as a priority. Other affected groups are being prioritised according to complexity and the likely risk of detriment. Revised delivery timelines will be communicated with affected members at the earliest date possible.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to support neurodiverse people employed in the healthcare sector in Surrey Heath Constituency. \p Karin Smyth: We do not currently collect data breaking down neurodivergent employment by sector, but, as a Government, we are committed to supporting neurodiversity in the workplace and encouraging employers to adopt neuro-inclusive working practices.

On 29 January 2025, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on improving neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. Many of the panel are diagnosed or identify as neurodivergent and/or have familial experience alongside their professional experience and expertise.

Recommendations are expected to include employer actions that can support the inclusion of neurodivergent people, including in recruitment and day to day workplace practices.

Our existing support to employers includes the online Support with Employee Health and Disability service. This guidance equips employers to discharge their legal obligations and feel confident having conversations about health and disability. The Disability Confident scheme helps employers to become exemplars, signposting to a range of expert resources.
wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_70
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing NHS Pension Scheme members in receipt of pension benefits to choose to revert to legacy scheme benefits if they can evidence financial difficulty. \p Karin Smyth: The NHS Pension Scheme is delivered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). NHSBSA is prioritising the issuance of remediable service statements to cohorts of NHS Pension Scheme members affected by the public service pensions remedy (‘McCloud’) who are most likely to receive higher pension benefits following their benefit choice. A fast-track process to enable members who meet certain criteria to apply to receive a remediable service statement sooner has been in place since late 2023.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to foster (a) an inclusive and (b) a respectful working environment for NHS hospital staff in Surrey Heath Constituency. \p Karin Smyth: It is the role of National Health Service boards and leaders to provide strong and effective leadership that helps to build supportive and inclusive cultures in their NHS organisations. This should include promoting environments where staff feel safe to speak up and raise concerns.

To support local employers, NHS England has developed the NHS People Promise, which describes the values and cultures that we want to build across the NHS, to ensure that staff feel well supported and to improve their day-to-day experience of working in the NHS.

NHS England published an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Improvement plan in 2023 to actively promote inclusion in the NHS.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS medical staff were struck off for clinical negligence in each year between 2019 and 2024. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not hold this information. If there is a concern that a regulated healthcare professional has been clinically negligent, we would expect them to be referred to their regulator. All healthcare professional regulators have a statutory duty to consider any concerns that are referred to them and to investigate and take appropriate action to protect the public when they meet the threshold for regulatory action. In the most serious cases, the outcome of these investigations may be that the professional is erased from the register, meaning they can no longer legally practise.

There are multiple healthcare professional regulators in the United Kingdom, each holding their own register. Data on the outcomes of fitness to practice proceedings, including the number of individuals erased or ”struck off” from the register, can be found at the respective regulators' websites.
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what basis the NHS Business Services Authority decided that expected eligibility to make a choice to revert to legacy scheme benefits under the McCloud remedy should not be considered a disclosure event as defined by The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2013. \p Karin Smyth: All members of the NHS Pension Scheme who are affected by the McCloud remedy were contacted by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in January 2024 to inform them that they are eligible to make a benefit choice. Further information to enable this choice to be made will be provided to NHS Pension Scheme members by the NHSBSA at the earliest opportunity.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of abolishing NHS England on savings to the public purse. \p Karin Smyth: The abolition of NHS England is expected to bring savings that would amount to hundreds of millions of pounds a year. While there will be some upfront costs, we are confident that the reform to wipe out duplication and drive a smaller centre, based in a single organisation, will generate significant savings in the long run allowing us to divert savings to the front line.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the effectiveness of the NHS Triage system. \p Karin Smyth: Triage is used across the National Health Service, for example in urgent and emergency care and mental health services, and is an effective way of prioritising patient need. The NHS pathways, a clinical decision support tool, used by NHS 111, is continuously reviewed to ensure it remains effective, safe, and that it adequately responds to patients’ clinical needs
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on the timing of the publication of the NHS 10-year plan. \p Karin Smyth: We do not envisage that the changes set out by the Prime Minister on 13 March 2025 will affect the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan. We still intend to publish the Plan later in spring 2025.

The changes will set the National Health Service up to deliver on the three big shifts needed to make the service fit for the future: from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made any recent assessment of the security of the supply chain of titanium salicylate. \p Karin Smyth: The Department works in partnership with industry, the National Health Service, and the wider health system to assess any potential issues across the medical supply chain. The Department was notified of the discontinuation of metanium nappy rash ointment, which contains titanium salicylate, from September 2024. The supplier has also communicated the discontinuation of this product to healthcare professionals and wholesalers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on the coordination of screening programmes. \p Karin Smyth: Ministers will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by James Mackey, to lead this transformation. As we work to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds.

The abolition of NHS England will strip out the unnecessary bureaucracy and cut the duplication that comes from having two organisations doing the same job; we will empower staff to focus on delivering better care for patients, driving productivity up and getting waiting times down.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the number of deaths directly attributable to alcohol in the last five years. \p Ashley Dalton: The following table shows the number of alcohol-specific deaths in England, deaths that have been wholly caused by alcohol consumption, for all age groups, from 2019 to 2023:

Year

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Deaths

5,819

6,984

7,556

7,912

8,274

The Department will continue to work across Government to better understand how we can best reduce alcohol-related harms, including alcohol specific deaths.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what independent bodies are part of NHS England. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England is currently an executive non-departmental public body which is sponsored by the Department. In the last 10 years, NHS England has taken on the functions of what were once separate arm’s length bodies, including NHS Improvement, NHS Digital and Health Education England.

As announced on 13 March 2025, NHS England will be brought into the Department. This will be done in the first instance by administrative means and will be followed by legislation to abolish NHS England once Parliamentary time allows.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of deaths that were directly attributable to alcohol in each of the last five years. \p Ashley Dalton: The following table shows the number of alcohol-specific deaths in England, deaths that have been wholly caused by alcohol consumption, for all age groups, from 2019 to 2023:

Year

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Deaths

5,819

6,984

7,556

7,912

8,274

The Department will continue to work across Government to better understand how we can best reduce alcohol-related harms, including alcohol specific deaths.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost of phasing out physical proof of immigration status documents. \p Seema Malhotra: The transition from physical immigration status documents to eVisas has been underway since the launch of the EU Settlement Scheme in 2018, with millions of people already receiving and using eVisas successfully.

eVisas offer a more secure and convenient way to prove immigration status for those living, working, or studying in the UK.

The implementation of eVisas has reduced the need for the Home Office to produce and maintain physical documents such as Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and has led to a consequent reduction in costs.

The delivery of eVisas and carrier integration also results in a net reduction in the costs of acquiring and issuing vignettes and handling physical documents at Visa Application Centres (VACs). It also reduces costs to immigration status holders by removing the fees for replacing BRPs and the travel costs associated with travel to VACs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has considered removing the exemption for both parties being within the dwelling in section 31 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1988. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Government regularly reviews legislation to ensure it safeguards the public and adequately reflects challenges that are likely to be faced today. Where we identify gaps in the legislation, we will seek to address them.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support her Department is providing to the Overseas Territories to assist with people overstaying visas. \p Seema Malhotra: Immigration functions are devolved to the Overseas Territories. Any decisions relating to individuals overstaying their visa are matters for local immigration teams.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a statutory cap on levels of migration. \p Seema Malhotra: This Government recognises and values the contribution that legal migration makes to the UK.

But under the previous Government, between 2019 and 2024, net migration almost quadrupled, heavily driven by a big increase in overseas recruitment.

A properly controlled and managed immigration system, alongside strong border security, is one of the foundations in the Government’s Plan for Change.

The work to restore order to our immigration system is already underway, and we will be setting out our approach to immigration in the upcoming Immigration White Paper which will be published in due course.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of implementing the decision of the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) of 28 January 2025 with reference: UI-xx-xxxx-xxxx & Ors. \p Dame Angela Eagle: It is longstanding government policy that we do not routinely comment on individual cases.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum hotels stood down by the previous government have been reopened since the 5 July 2024. \p Dame Angela Eagle: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave to the Urgent Question on Asylum Seekers: Hotel Accommodation on 20 November 2024.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support her Department is providing to the Cayman Islands to help counter illegal migration. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office is developing plans to deliver Refresher Training and Train the Trainer courses in the Cayman Islands to enable their Customs and Border Control (CBC) officials to deliver asylum training to new staff. This builds on previous bespoke asylum casework training delivered in September 2022 and November 2023, February 2024 and March 2025 to upskill new and existing CBC staff and equip them with the knowledge and skills to consider requests for protection under international law.

The Home Office is also delivering a regional asylum training programme aimed at building asylum capability in all of the Overseas Territories (OTs) including the Cayman Islands. As part of the regional programme, an Overseas Territories Asylum Network has been launched which seeks to promote the sharing of expertise and best practice across all OTs and fosters shared learning.
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Vikki Slade:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of HM Passport Office accepting multilingual standardised birth certificates as part of passport applications for the children of British parents born in Europe. \p Seema Malhotra: His Majesty’s Passport Office requires customers to provide a full birth certificate, issued in the country of birth, as part of a passport application. Multilingual Standard Forms do not meet this criteria: they are an extract of a civil registration record translated into the language needed and are not a full original certificate.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules, HC 733, published on 12 March 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme on the number of Ukrainian children able to come to the UK. \p Seema Malhotra: The minor changes to the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (UPE) set out in the statement of changes to the Immigration Rules laid on 12 March 2025, will not impact the number of children able to come to the UK.

UPE, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025, enables Ukrainians and their eligible family members who are already in the UK with Ukraine scheme permission, or Leave outside the Rules in certain circumstances, to apply for a further 18 months' temporary permission in the UK.

The Homes for Ukraine scheme remains open, uncapped and free of charge for Ukrainians in need of sanctuary to apply to come to the UK.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of British Nationals Overseas who have had to obtain Electronic Travel Authorisation prior to travelling to the UK. \p Seema Malhotra: The Government has agreed to exempt British National (Overseas) passport holders from the need to obtain an ETA when visiting the UK. This exceptional exemption will be kept under review.

Data on the number of BN(O) applications made prior to this exemption being instituted is unavailable.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of care workers on the Skilled Worker route who no longer have sponsorship due to sponsors (a) unable to offer sufficient work and (b) having lost sponsor licences. \p Seema Malhotra: Between July 2022 and December 2024, the government has revoked more than 470 sponsor licences in the care sector to clampdown on abuse and exploitation. More than 39,000 workers have been associated with these sponsors since October 2020.

We are unable to provide an answer concerning lost sponsor licences as this information is not centrally held and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of waiting times at the Passport Office. \p Seema Malhotra: His Majesty’s Passport Office consistently exceeds the performance indicator for its standard service within the UK, with over 98.5% of customers receiving their passport within three weeks where no further information is required.

Information about the performance of HM Passport Office can be found within the latest transparency data release, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/passports-and-citizenship-data-q4-2024.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the number of passport applications taking longer than three weeks. \p Seema Malhotra: The information you have requested is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/passports-and-citizenship-data-q4-2024.
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Zöe Franklin:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with police forces on supporting families in relation to criminal cases that have been open for over a decade. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Under the Victims' Code all victims, including a close relative of a person whose death was directly caused by a criminal offence, are entitled to be referred to support services when they report a crime.

The Ministry of Justice provides Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) with annual grant funding to commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services for victims of all crime types.
wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_96
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_96

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the number of fast-tracked passport applications taking longer than one week. \p Seema Malhotra: The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_97
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_97

Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) inspectors were responsible for assessing project licence applications and (b) project licence applications were approved for licences to use animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in 2024. \p Dan Jarvis: The number of staff that are employed to process and issue project licences in the Home Office Regulator, under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, are published in the Regulator's annual report accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit-annual-reports.

In 2024, the Regulator had 12 Inspectors and 472 project licence applications were approved.

The Regulator is currently undertaking a structured programme of reforms. This will increase the total number of Inspectors to 22 by end of 2025. The Regulator will then operate a flexibly resourced licensing function and allocate resource according to demand.
wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_98
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_98

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of waiting times for visas on (a) the super priority service and (b) other processes. \p Seema Malhotra: As outlined on GOV.UK, using the ‘super priority service’ for visa and settlement applications means a decision is usually made by the end of the next working day.

Using the ‘priority service’ means a decision is usually made within 5 working days, or 30 working days for Family visa applications from outside the UK.

If there is a delay, for example due to the information provided not being accurate or further evidence being required, the customer will be notified of this within the current processing times.

Visa processing times are published on the UKVI website at Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK Visa processing times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK and Visa decision waiting times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK.
wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_99
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_99

Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to (a) support and (b) compensate vulnerable victims of organised criminal fraud groups. \p Dan Jarvis: Victims of unauthorised bank fraud (for example when a customer’s card is used without their permission) are automatically entitled to reimbursement in virtually all cases. Additionally, mandatory reimbursement for Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams (when a victim makes a payment themselves to a fraudster on false pretences) came into effect in October 2024, requiring all payment service providers to reimburse all victims of APP fraud.

The National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU) is a focussed and targeted service, providing victims of fraud and cybercrime with not only a consistent and high-quality response, but also with a national standard of care and support. Currently NECVCU supports all 43 forces in England and Wales at Level 1 (non-vulnerable victim care), and 38 forces at the enhanced Level 2 service (for vulnerable victims).
wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_100
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_100

Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential threat from China to UK national security; and when she plans to make a decision on the status of China in relation to the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme. \p Dan Jarvis: We continually assess potential threats to the UK and treat the protection of our national security with the upmost seriousness. Upholding national security and keeping the public safe is the first duty of Government.

We are taking a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK's relations with China. We will co-operate where we can; compete where we need to; and challenge where we must, including on issues of national security.

With regards to FIRS, I told the House in March, we intend to lay regulations before Parliament as soon as possible with a view to having the scheme up and running by the summer.
wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_101
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_101

Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for project licences to use animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were approved on average in each week in 2024. \p Dan Jarvis: In 2024, on average 17 applications for project licences to use animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were approved each week.

The Government publishes extensive guidance for the regulated sector on applying for project licences. Applications are internally reviewed by an establishment’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body before being submitted to the Regulator for assessment. Licence applications are then assessed by Inspectors; this includes conducting a harm-benefit assessment to determine whether the programme of work is favourable and meets the requirements of ASPA. A licence is only granted where this is deemed to be the case.
wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_102
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_102

Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of including retail home delivery drivers within the definition of assaults on retail workers. \p Dame Diana Johnson: I refer the Hon. Member to my response given to UIN 38705 on 24 March 2025.
wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_103
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_103

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress she has made with Cabinet colleagues on implementing the strategy on tackling violence against women and girls. \p Jess Phillips: The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this Government is treating it as the national emergency that it is.

We are going further than ever before to deliver a cross-Government transformative approach to halving violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade, underpinned by a new VAWG strategy to be published before summer recess. The new strategy will set out the concrete actions being taken across Government to deliver our ambition to tackle VAWG in all its forms.
wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_104
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_104

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to prevent blank guns being converted to weapons which can fire live rounds. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Government keeps firearms legislation under close review to ensure that the law responds to threats to public safety posed by firearms including converted blank firing firearms.

Blank firing guns are, generally speaking, regarded as imitation firearms under firearms legislation. They are categorised by how the discharge, or vent, fumes or gases when fired: either at the top of the gun known as Top Venting Blank Firers, or from the front of the gun known as Forward Venting Blank Firers. In particular, realistic imitation firearms are subject to controls under the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, while readily convertible imitation firearms, which are those blank firing firearms that can be converted to fire live ammunition without any special skill and using tools or equipment that are generally available are, by virtue of the Firearms Act 1982, controlled under the Firearms Act 1968.

In response to concern about specific types of Top Venting blank firing firearms being converted into lethal firearms and used in crime, the Government has worked closely with the National Crime Agency and the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) lead on illegal firearms, and it has taken action against specific types of Top Venting blank firing firearms. Following testing in 2024, these blank firing firearms had been found to be readily convertible and therefore contrary to firearms legislation. The specific features of these blank firing firearms also means they fall within the prohibited categories of firearms provided for by section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968. An amnesty was organised by the NPCC lead in which anyone in possession of the specific types of Top Venting blank firing firearms was able to hand them into a local police station. The amnesty started on 3 February 2025 and ran for four weeks.
wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_105
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_105

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with his (a) French, (b) Italian and (c) other EU nations' counterparts on accelerating the transfer of (i) ammunition and (ii) other armaments to Ukraine. \p Luke Pollard: We are in frequent contact with partner nations to discuss how to collectively accelerate the transfer of ammunition and other armaments to Ukraine. As co-leaders of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group the UK is taking a leading role in ensuring coordination and coherence of international support to Ukraine.

With European partners, we are also members of the artillery capability coalition and co-leads of the maritime and drone capability coalitions, which deliver immediate support to Ukraine and also have a long-term plan to support Ukraine's ambitions for a NATO interoperable future force.
wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_106
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_106

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with businesses on the applicability of the Armed Forces Covenant. \p Al Carns: I have been fortunate enough to meet with many businesses and organisations that are both signed up and who are also interested in signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant. This Government is committed to fully extending the legal duty, which will increase education and awareness of the unique nature of Service.

Defence Relationship Management provides direct engagement with employers across the UK through its account management team. This engagement supports employers in understanding the Armed Forces Covenant, developing bespoke and meaningful pledges, and progressing on to the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme where appropriate.

The Ministry of Defence has policy in place to hold organisations to account known as the ‘the Covenant Test’, where ultimately, if a company fails the test, their right to utilise the Armed Forces Covenant title and branding can be removed.
wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_107
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-26 conversation_107

Zöe Franklin:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure serving personnel who are posted away on operational duties and have a property in the UK are able to receive council tax discounts; and how his Department ensures personnel are (a) informed and (b) supported in accessing this discount. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) pays a tax-free allowance called Council Tax Relief for certain Service personnel on specified operations or assignments. In 2011, the MOD doubled the rate from 25 per cent to 50 per cent, under the auspices of the Armed Forces Covenant. The MOD has established structures in place to engage regularly with a wide range of stakeholders including Serving personnel and their families. This routine engagement maintains continued awareness of the support available.