Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to announce the revised formula for allocating the growth and skills levy (formerly the apprenticeship levy), including (1) the total for each year of the spending review period, and (2) the amount to be held back by the Treasury.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will offer greater flexibility to employers and learners, and support the industrial strategy.

The growth and skills offer is vital in delivering the government’s Plan for Change and achieving its missions of driving growth and breaking down barriers to opportunity. The department will work through all of its budgets at departmental business planning and set out more detail on the approach to the growth and skills offer in due course.

His Majesty’s Treasury are responsible for the operation of the UK wide apprenticeships levy and for allocating funding to England and the devolved administrations through Spending Review settlements.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to paragraph 4.36 of the Spending Review 2025 (CP 1336), what proportion of the additional £1.2 billion allocated per year by 2028–29 for skills will be (1) part of the growth and skills levy, and (2) drawn down from the skills surcharge levied on employers for bringing in overseas staff.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The skills system is central to achieving economic growth and breaking down barriers to opportunity. The government is providing £1.2 billion of additional investment per year by 2028/29.

As set out in the Immigration White Paper, the government will increase the Immigration Skills Charge for the first time since its introduction, by 32% to bring the rates in line with inflation.

Further details on how skills funding will be allocated in future years will be set out in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the recipients of Birthday Honours List 2025 have been recognised in previous honours lists.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There are currently 65 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded, therefore current address data for recipients prior to the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 round is not held. In the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 list, there were 2 Companions of Honour awarded; one to a recipient in the London region, and one in Bradford-on-Avon.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.

Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 20 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 List, 3 of which were above OBE level. There were 13 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield, 2 of which were above OBE level.

Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 6 individuals received an award above MBE level.

44 recipients of honours in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 have received honours in previous lists.

This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.

Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.

Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many honours above OBE level were awarded to people who were (1) living in, or (2) working or providing service to, the Sheffield City Region at the time of their nomination for an honour in the Birthday Honours List 2025.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There are currently 65 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded, therefore current address data for recipients prior to the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 round is not held. In the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 list, there were 2 Companions of Honour awarded; one to a recipient in the London region, and one in Bradford-on-Avon.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.

Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 20 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 List, 3 of which were above OBE level. There were 13 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield, 2 of which were above OBE level.

Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 6 individuals received an award above MBE level.

44 recipients of honours in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 have received honours in previous lists.

This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.

Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.

Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many honours, by each award level, were awarded in each region or nation of the UK in the Birthday Honours List 2025; and what percentage of the population of each such region or nation that number represents.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There are currently 65 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded, therefore current address data for recipients prior to the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 round is not held. In the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 list, there were 2 Companions of Honour awarded; one to a recipient in the London region, and one in Bradford-on-Avon.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.

Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 20 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 List, 3 of which were above OBE level. There were 13 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield, 2 of which were above OBE level.

Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 6 individuals received an award above MBE level.

44 recipients of honours in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 have received honours in previous lists.

This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.

Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.

Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many honours above OBE level were awarded to people who were (1) living in, or (2) working or providing service to, the South Yorkshire area at the time of their nomination for an honour in the Birthday Honours List 2025.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There are currently 65 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded, therefore current address data for recipients prior to the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 round is not held. In the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 list, there were 2 Companions of Honour awarded; one to a recipient in the London region, and one in Bradford-on-Avon.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.

Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 20 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 List, 3 of which were above OBE level. There were 13 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield, 2 of which were above OBE level.

Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 6 individuals received an award above MBE level.

44 recipients of honours in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 have received honours in previous lists.

This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.

Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.

Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in the combined mayoral authority of South Yorkshire, how many residents received an award above the level of MBE in the Birthday Honours List 2025.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There are currently 65 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded, therefore current address data for recipients prior to the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 round is not held. In the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 list, there were 2 Companions of Honour awarded; one to a recipient in the London region, and one in Bradford-on-Avon.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.

Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 20 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 List, 3 of which were above OBE level. There were 13 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield, 2 of which were above OBE level.

Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 6 individuals received an award above MBE level.

44 recipients of honours in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 have received honours in previous lists.

This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.

Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.

Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the geographical locations where living recipients of Companions of Honour reside, where known.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There are currently 65 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded, therefore current address data for recipients prior to the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 round is not held. In the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 list, there were 2 Companions of Honour awarded; one to a recipient in the London region, and one in Bradford-on-Avon.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.

Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 20 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 List, 3 of which were above OBE level. There were 13 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield, 2 of which were above OBE level.

Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 6 individuals received an award above MBE level.

44 recipients of honours in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 have received honours in previous lists.

This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.

Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.

Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what taxes are payable on immigration fees paid by employers on behalf of employees and their dependents, and whether they plan to review the level of such taxes.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

If an employer pays for certain immigration fees on behalf of prospective or current employees, these costs could be liable to Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions for the employee as earnings or a benefit-in-kind.

Whether tax is payable will depend on individual circumstances as tax exemptions may apply. For this reason, each circumstance will need to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The Government has no plans to change the tax treatment of immigration fees. However, all taxes are kept under review as part of the tax policymaking process.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide continuing and updated services to match the development and use of the NHS app for those unable or unwilling to use a smart phone, to ensure that such patients have equivalent access to services.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are working to improve access to digital services, outcomes, and experiences for the widest range of people, based on their preferences. Digital health tools should be part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services.

We conduct user research on an ongoing basis with users from diverse backgrounds to ensure our service works for everyone. This includes patients with a range of access needs and diverse groups, for instance ethnic minority groups, visual impairments, neurodiversity, and physical impairments. We have recruited users who are blind or partially sighted in community-based research, research with local National Health Service teams, and in remote research, either one to one or in groups. We use the findings of user research to plan and prioritise new work to improve accessibility.

NHS England has successfully run several programmes to support patients, carers, and health service staff with their digital skills. These include:

- the Digital Health Champions programme, which is a proof of concept to support citizens who have no or low digital skills with understanding how to access health services online;

- the Widening Digital Participation programme, which is aimed at ensuring more people have the digital skills, motivation, and means to access health information and services online; and

- the NHS App ‘Spoken Word’ Pilot project, which is designed to test the efficacy of promoting NHS digital health products and services in languages other than English.

We have also recruited over 2,000 NHS App ambassadors and 1,400 libraries to help people to learn how to use the NHS App.

NHS England has published a framework for NHS action on digital inclusion and is developing further resources to support practical actions. All programmes are actively considering how they can contribute to improvements in healthcare inequalities and digital inclusion.

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