Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

The latest take up figures were published in October 2024. They showed that in financial year 2022/23, 65% of those entitled to Pension Credit claimed the benefit.

Data on Pension Credit claims and awards was published in November. It showed that there has been a 145% increase in Pension Credit claims received by DWP in the 16 weeks following the Chancellor’s Winter Fuel Payment announcement on the 29 July, compared to the number received in the 16 weeks prior to the announcement.

Benefit expenditure and caseload forecasts are regularly made publicly available by the Department. The latest published forecasts estimate that Winter Fuel Payments will cost £330m in nominal terms, for financial year 2025/26.

The Department is running a national uptake campaign to encourage the estimated up to 880,000 citizens who may be entitled to Pension Credit apply for it. The Department is in the process of modernising the Pension Credit delivery and has previously undertaken an assessment of the application process and introduced online claims in addition to telephone and paper claims. DWP Agents and third-party organisations are available to support customers with the application process.

NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England. The following table shows the payments made for clinical negligence claims from 2021/22 to 2023/24:

Notes:

1. The data for 2024/25 is not yet finalised; and
2. annual payments for clinical negligence claims can relate to incidents which occurred many years ago, and so payments for one claim can occur over multiple years, including interim amounts paid before settlement, payments upon settlement, and annual periodic payments for some matters settled in previous years.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the NHS in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years, and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.

The causes of the overall cost rise are complex and there is no single fix, as costs are likely to be rising because of a range of factors, including higher compensation payments and legal costs, rather than more claims or a decline in patient safety.

We recognise that this is an important issue, and ministers intend to look at all the drivers of cost.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for licensing medicines, such as GLP-1s, based on an assessment of their safety, quality, and efficacy. The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) then appraises licensed medicines based on an assessment of their clinical and cost-effectiveness, and makes recommendations on whether they can be recommended for routine use on the National Health Service. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE appraisal, usually within three months of final guidance.

The MHRA only assesses medicines within the indications for which companies submit evidence. Any extension of a medicine’s licence to cover additional indications would require a separate evidence submission. Similarly, the NICE only appraises medicines within their licensed indications.

There are a number of GLP-1s licensed for use in weight management, type 2 diabetes, and for cardiovascular risk reduction for adults who are overweight or obese. The NICE has recommended them as a clinically and cost effective option, when prescribed alongside diet, physical activity, and behavioural support, to support some people living with obesity to lose weight. For those living with obesity, weight loss can provide significant health benefits, reducing the risk of developing certain diseases as well as improving the management of some existing weight related conditions.

There is also research exploring the role of GLP-1 drugs for the treatment and prevention of wider diseases, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, and cancer, and health related behaviours, including alcohol and nicotine intake. The MHRA and the NICE will consider the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of any wider use of GLP-1 medicines should evidence be submitted to them.

Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system, and the Government recognises the integral role they play within our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.

For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework has been increased to £3.073 billion. This represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26.

There has been a reduction in the number of pharmacies since 2017, as there are over 1,300 fewer than in 2017, and over 550 fewer than two years ago. However, access to pharmacies in England remains good. Over 80% of the population lives within one mile of a pharmacy. In some rural areas where there is no pharmacy, general practitioners are permitted to dispense medicines to their patients. Patients can also choose to access medicines and pharmacy services through any of the over 400 NHS online pharmacies that are contractually required to deliver prescription medicines free of charge to patients.

Under Pharmacy First, pharmacists can supply prescription-only medicines, including some antibiotics, under Patient Group Directions (PGDs). PGDs are strict protocols that allow certain healthcare professionals to supply prescription-only medicines in very specific circumstances and without a prescription from a general practitioner. The service design was informed by best practice with input from an expert panel of clinicians.

The impacts of the service are being assessed via multiple routes. As part of the Pharmacy Quality Scheme 2025/26, participating contractors will be expected to complete a clinical audit, focusing on the clinical advice and consultations provided to patients. NHS England has completed a review of the Pharmacy First service. The National Institute of Health and Care Research has commissioned research to assess the impact, safety, and effectiveness of Pharmacy First. NHS England will keep the clinical scope of the service under review.

Pathogens develop resistance to antimicrobial treatments, such as antibiotics, through inappropriate use and unintentional exposure through the environment and our food. This is driving rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and is creating a generation of ‘superbugs’ that cannot be treated with existing medicines and treatments, leading to longer hospital stays and more complex treatment pathways.

The Government’s UK 5-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance 2024 to 2029, a copy of which is attached, is committed to reducing the rate of drug-resistant infections and AMR through a series of commitments that aim to reduce the need for, and unintentional exposure to, antimicrobials. This aims to preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobials. The national action plan also commits to meeting specific targets to reduce drug-resistant infections by 2029, including preventing their increase in humans and any increase in gram-negative bloodstream infections from the specified 2019/20 financial year baseline.

NHS England implements its responsibilities under the national action plan through a set of workstreams, each with responsibility for a set of these commitments. The central AMR programme team within NHS England works with partners within the UK Health Security Agency and the Department to co-ordinate and ensure delivery. Regional NHS England leads work with integrated care boards to advise on, and support actions locally, to reduce infection and the need for antimicrobials.

The UK is working with international partners and the High Representative to bolster domestic institutions and actors to respond to threats to the Dayton Peace Agreement and protect Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH's) territorial integrity, and to encourage constructive engagement from leaders in the wider region. The Foreign Secretary's visits to BiH on 6-7 May and Serbia on 2 April underlined those efforts, as did the UK Special Envoy to the Western Balkans's address to the UN Security Council on 6 May. Minister Doughty engaged international partners at a meeting of the 'Quint' on 15 May and met BiH Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković and the High Representative of BiH on 12 April.

This government has made a strong commitment to international justice, including through its continuing support for institutions such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and through programme work which supports countries to deal with alleged war crimes fully, fairly and in line with international standards. The UK is committed to securing accountability for those responsible for atrocity crimes, and any allegations must be thoroughly investigated.

The Office of the Prosecutor General in Ukraine has already recorded over 160,000 allegations of war crimes committed since Russia's barbaric invasion in February 2022. The majority of these will be investigated by Ukraine and where appropriate tried in Ukrainian courts. The UK has provided over £11.3 million in funding to support Ukraine's domestic accountability efforts to ensure allegations of war crimes can be fully and fairly investigated, by independent, effective, and robust legal mechanisms. Investigations into the deaths of Andrew Bagshaw and Chris Parry are a matter for the Ukrainian authorities, and we would respond to any requests for UK support through the usual judicial co-operation channels. It would not be appropriate to comment on any such requests or cooperation.

The UK has underlined with Serbia's leadership concerns about the "All Serb Assembly" in June and the subsequent Declaration. The UK consistently emphasises at senior levels the importance of Serbia's role in building and supporting regional stability; Minister of State Stephen Doughty did so most recently in October meetings with Foreign Minister Djuric and the Serbian Ambassador in London. We encourage Serbia to adhere to the commitments made by all Western Balkans leaders at the 2018 London Summit on good neighbourly relations.

The UK is committed to supporting the sovereignty, territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as set out in the Dayton Peace Agreement. We maintain a range of tools to tackle destabilising behaviour; our sanctions regime remains one of them. We do not speculate on future designations.

Tourism is a significant economic, cultural and social asset to the UK. The sector is a powerful engine for economic growth and job creation across all regions. Tourism contributes not only economically, but also in creating pride in local communities and contributing to the UK's soft power.

The Government regularly receives representations about visitor levies in England.

The Government announced its new fiscal rules at the Budget in October, including an investment rule. This rule keeps debt on a sustainable path while allowing the step change needed in investment, by targeting a measure of debt that captures not just the debt that government owes but also financial assets that are expected to generate future returns. This will deliver an additional £100 billion of growth-enhancing capital spending, which catalyses private sector investment in more housing, better transport links, and clean energy.

In January, the Chancellor also set out our support for private investment, including a third runway at Heathrow, a £10 billion in a data centre in Northumberland and a £1 billion advanced manufacturing investment in North Wales.

As part of the Government's growth agenda, we will publish a 10-year Infrastructure Strategy alongside the 2025 Spending Review, which seeks to reduce uncertainty by bringing together a long-term plan for the country’s social, economic, and housing infrastructure.

The newly created National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority will bring oversight of strategy and delivery under one roof, supporting the development and implementation of the 10-year infrastructure strategy in conjunction with industry.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill, currently before Parliament, will streamline the planning system to deliver a faster and more certain consenting process for major infrastructure projects. This is part of the government's wider actions to deliver a pro-growth planning system, including revising the National Planning and Policy Framework and reviewing the role of statutory consultees.

There are currently no plans to modify the operation of the Barnett formula. The Barnett formula has stood the test of time because it is simple, efficient and provides a clear and certain outcome.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is in regular contact with his devolved government counterparts on matters of devolved government funding and the Barnett formula. Officials are also in regular dialogue on the operation of devolved government funding arrangements, including the Barnett formula.

Overall, the Welsh Government currently receives at least 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK. That translates into over £4 billion more in 2025-26.

The Home Secretary has agreed that the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), supported by the College of Policing, will conduct a review on the use and effectiveness of non-crime hate incidents, including those incidents involving religious and racial hatred. The review will cover when the police should record information that has not yet reached the criminal threshold, but which is still deemed necessary to monitor community tensions and keep the public safe. It will also consider the fundamental right of freedom of expression and recent court rulings in this area. The Government welcomes this review and will work closely with the NPCC and the College as they develop their findings and any proposals.

The vast majority of airline passengers drink responsibly when travelling.

However, individuals who are drunk can be denied from boarding an aircraft, and tough penalties are in place for being drunk and disruptive on an aircraft (including imprisonment for up to two years or an unlimited fine, or both).

A call for evidence carried out in 2019 on imposing licensing restrictions on airside premises did not provide new evidence to make a compelling case for additional restrictions.

The requested information can be found on Tab WCS_05 of Windrush Compensation Scheme data: July 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) released on 29 August 2024. As at end of July 2024, 856 compensation claims were in the Work in Progress category.

We will ensure the victims of the appalling Windrush scandal have their voices heard and the compensation scheme is run effectively, with a new Windrush Commissioner.

It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the noble Lord’s Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

The UK remains committed to Baltic and NATO security through a variety of means, including its commitment to the Enhanced Forward Presence deployment, NATO Air Policing, and the Joint Expeditionary Force. The Secretary of State for Defence regularly meets with his Estonian counterpart to discuss military contributions to European defence and security, having met most recently on 26 March 2025.

The prison population has nearly doubled in the past three decades, with just 500 extra prison places added in the last 14 years. To put an end to this crisis, the Government confirmed plans to invest £4.7 billion more in prison building, putting the Government on track to open 14,000 places by 2031. This will be the largest expansion of the prison estate since the Victorians. Since July 2024, 2,400 places have already been opened.

As outlined in the December 2024 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, this Government is committed to delivering an additional 14,000 prison places through the 20,000 prison place programmes. Delivery will be achieved through the construction of new prisons, the expansion and refurbishment of the existing estate and temporary accommodation. A breakdown of the prison build programmes by region and build type can be found within the Capacity Strategy.

The construction of four new prisons will deliver c.6,500 of the remaining 14,000 places. This includes the recently delivered HMP Millsike, which officially opened in March 2025. It also includes a new prison in Leicestershire which has full planning permission, a new prison in Buckinghamshire which has outline planning permission and a new prison in Lancashire which also has outline planning permission.