Lord Campbell-Savours

The legislation governing the Blue Badge scheme requires that the side of the badge bearing the photograph should not be on display. Many disabled people have concerns about personal security and would not like to have such information on view. There are no plans to change this requirement.

Blue Badges have key information which enables on-street enforcement officers to check the details of the badge and the badge holder, and to view a photograph at the roadside on a smartphone or similar device.

The Department for Transport keeps the Blue Badge scheme under review, carrying out research and working closely with local authorities aiming to improve the consistency of local enforcement to tackle fraud and misuse of the Blue Badge scheme by acting swiftly and sharing best practice.

The legislation governing the Blue Badge scheme requires that the side of the badge bearing the photograph should not be on display. Many disabled people have concerns about personal security and would not like to have such information on view. There are no plans to change this requirement.

Blue Badges have key information which enables on-street enforcement officers to check the details of the badge and the badge holder, and to view a photograph at the roadside on a smartphone or similar device.

The Department for Transport keeps the Blue Badge scheme under review, carrying out research and working closely with local authorities aiming to improve the consistency of local enforcement to tackle fraud and misuse of the Blue Badge scheme by acting swiftly and sharing best practice.

The Department for Transport does not hold data about the number of prosecutions for illegal badges.

The Department for Transport sets the legislation that governs the scheme and provides guidance for local authorities who are solely responsible for administrating the scheme.

Current legislation provides local authorities with the means to tackle abuse of the Blue Badge scheme locally, such as the power to retain and cancel badges found to be misused.

The Department for Transport does not hold data about the number of prosecutions for illegal badges.

The Department for Transport sets the legislation that governs the scheme and provides guidance for local authorities who are solely responsible for administrating the scheme.

Current legislation provides local authorities with the means to tackle abuse of the Blue Badge scheme locally, such as the power to retain and cancel badges found to be misused.

Further to the previous answer of 4 July 2025 to Question HL8754, the breakdown of the total Net Ingredient Cost (NIC) figure is as follows:

• for colostomy, in 2023/24, there were a total of 491,601 items dispensed to patients in the community in England where the item prescribed was clearly named as a colostomy appliance for which no National Health Service charges were collected at the point of dispensing, with a total NIC of £110,834,133.28; and
• for ileostomy, in 2023/24, there were a total of 808,049 items dispensed to patients in the community in England where the item prescribed was clearly named as an ileostomy appliance for which no NHS charges were collected at the point of dispensing, with a total NIC of £128,445,887.47.

These figures exclude a large number of other stoma appliances that could not be clearly identified as colostomy or ileostomy from their name, although some of these other appliances will be used as colostomy or ileostomy appliances.

The NIC is the basic price of a product excluding VAT. It does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees and allowances paid to pharmacists and appliance contractors for the service they provide to the NHS, or prescription charge income received, where the single charge or Prescription Prepayment Certificate fee is paid, or foregone, where prescriptions are dispensed free of charge.

It is not possible to estimate the total cost to the National Health Service of providing free prescriptions for colostomy and ileostomy related products. NHS patients pay a fixed charge for each prescription item dispensed in primary care, unless they are exempt from prescription charges or hold a valid pre-payment certificate (PPC).

In 2023/24, there was a total of 1,299,650 items with a total Net Ingredient Cost (NIC) of £239,280,020 dispensed to patients in the community in England, where the item prescribed was clearly named as colostomy or ileostomy appliances, for which no NHS charges were collected at the point of dispensing. This total includes items where no charge was collected due to a patient holding a valid PPC. This total excludes a large number of other stoma appliances that could not be clearly identified as colostomy or ileostomy from their name, although some of these other appliances will be used as colostomy or ileostomy appliances. The NIC is the basic price of a product excluding VAT. It does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees, or allowances paid to pharmacists and appliance contractors for the services they provide to the NHS, or prescription charge income received, where the single charge or PPC fee is paid, or foregone where prescriptions are dispensed free of charge.

The majority of services provided by independent sector hospitals are charged per individual treatment episode, according to the prices set out in the NHS Payment Scheme. There are some independent sector providers who are re-imbursed on the basis of local prices for treatment episodes, usually where no national price is available or, very occasionally, local pricing may be based on a block payment or total packages of care.

Independent sector providers of healthcare services to integrated care boards or NHS England are procured under the terms of the Provider Selection Regime Regulations and are contracted using the NHS Standard Contract.

The majority of services provided by independent sector hospitals are charged per individual treatment episode, according to the prices set out in the NHS Payment Scheme. There are some independent sector providers who are re-imbursed on the basis of local prices for treatment episodes, usually where no national price is available or, very occasionally, local pricing may be based on a block payment or total packages of care.

Independent sector providers of healthcare services to integrated care boards or NHS England are procured under the terms of the Provider Selection Regime Regulations and are contracted using the NHS Standard Contract.

The majority of services provided by independent sector hospitals are charged per individual treatment episode, according to the prices set out in the NHS Payment Scheme. There are some independent sector providers who are re-imbursed on the basis of local prices for treatment episodes, usually where no national price is available or, very occasionally, local pricing may be based on a block payment or total packages of care.

Independent sector providers of healthcare services to integrated care boards or NHS England are procured under the terms of the Provider Selection Regime Regulations and are contracted using the NHS Standard Contract.

It is a criminal offence under section 24(A1) of the Immigration Act 1971 to knowingly enter the United Kingdom in breach of a deportation order. The offence attracts a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment.

When assessing breaches of the disproportionate cost threshold, consideration is given to the volume of case records that would need to be reviewed and the time it would take to review those cases which is calculated at a flat rate of £25 per hour.

The requested data 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.

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.

The Government takes abuse of the spouse and partner immigration routes very seriously and is clear that family migration must be based on a genuine and subsisting marriage or relationship. The marriage referral and investigation scheme (the Scheme), introduced across the UK under the Immigration Act 2014, requires that all proposed marriages and civil partnerships where one or both parties could gain an immigration advantage from it are referred to the Home Office.

Under the Scheme, where we have reasonable grounds to suspect a sham relationship, the marriage notice period will be extended to allow for further investigation, and for enforcement or casework action to be taken where appropriate.

The requested data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.