Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether external consultants were hired as part of the process of rebranding from HM Government to UK Government.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

For information relating to the UK Government branding update, I refer the Hon. Member to Questions HL14450, HL14451 and HL14452.

For information relating to stakeholder engagement, I refer the Hon. Member to Question 112168.

Government communications use “UK Government” as the primary identity for public-facing communications. This is not an introduction of a new UK Government brand identity. The Government Communication Service routinely reviews its branding to ensure it remains effective, accessible and fit for purpose across all channels, including digital platforms.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase (a) skills and (b) employment support for people in South Holland and the Deepings constituency in receipt of sickness benefits.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Get Britain Working White Paper, published in autumn 2024, and Pathways to Work Green Paper, published in spring 2025, set out the Government’s plan on skills and employment support, including for those in receipt of sickness benefits.

Our Pathways to Work guaranteed offer of personalised employment, health and skills support for all disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits is backed by £1 billion a year of new funding by the end of the decade. Once fully rolled out, we anticipate this will include a support conversation to identify next steps, one-to-one caseworker support, periodic engagement and an offer of specialist long-term work health and skills support.

In addition, Connect to Work is being made available across all of England and Wales. This is a voluntary, locally commissioned, Supported Employment programme for individuals that are disabled, have a health condition or experiencing non-health related barriers to work to find and sustain employment. There is no benefit-related requirement for this programme. Lincolnshire County Council is the Lead Authority for the Lincolnshire Delivery Area and we expect them to open their service in spring 2026.

WorkWell is a health and employment support service providing integrated holistic early help for health-related barriers to work. WorkWell is delivered in partnership with health systems and has so far supported approximately 25,000 disabled people and people with health conditions to stay in and re-enter work. Following the success of the pilot, it will continue to be delivered in existing sites and expand across all of England including the Lincolnshire ICB. The expansion is backed by up to £259 million investment over three years.

Through the Adult Skills Fund in the 2025/26 academic year, we are spending £1.4 billion for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to support adults to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. In South Holland and the Deepings, the Adult Skills Fund fully funds learners who are unemployed or earn less than £25,750 (annual gross salary).

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to increase research and development on child brain tumours.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department invests over £1.6 billion per year in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is a major area of NIHR spending at £141.6 million in 2024/25, reflecting its high priority.

We are committed to furthering our investment in brain cancer research and have already taken steps to stimulate scientific progress and build scientific capacity to do research on brain cancer.

In January 2026, the NIHR announced increased investment of over £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium. The world-leading consortium aims to transform outcomes for adults and children and their families who are living with brain tumours, ultimately reducing lives lost to cancer.

The NIHR has also announced a new partnership with Cancer Research UK (CRUK), with approximately £3 million to co-fund Brain Tumour Centres of Excellence, which includes the Children’s Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence. This investment will accelerate the move from foundational research to delivering innovative treatments for patients.

In addition, the NIHR is actively engaged with CRUK alongside the health departments of the devolved administrations, through joint funding of the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre network, a United Kingdom-wide consortium of specialist centres dedicated to early phase clinical trials and translational cancer research, including those for brain tumours. They have both an adult and a paediatric network.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including paediatric brain cancer. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to the public and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Ministers and special advisers in his Department have met the Royal Household to discuss the rebranding of UK Government.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

For information relating to stakeholder engagement, I refer the Hon. Member to Question 112168.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of digital exclusion in Lincolnshire.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – helping families save money, get a better job, and access services like the NHS more easily.

But we know some people face real barriers. Data from 2024/25 shows that 8% of adults in Lincolnshire reported they do not use the internet, with the average across England also at 8%.

That’s why we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, and why we’re now delivering the foundations: better connectivity, more devices reaching people who need them, and support to build skills and confidence in communities across the UK.

We also launched the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, including £25,872 for a community-led digital skills project in Grimsby, helping more people across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps his Department has taken to help support independent high street businesses in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Our Small Business Plan sets out how government will tackle high street decline, retail crime and anti-social behaviour; update our licensing regime; and improve partnership working on the High Street.

High street business will benefit from improved access to finance, strong measures to address late payments and a range of support through the Business Growth Service. Later this year we will publish a new High Streets Strategy, expanding on our £5bn Pride in Place Programme to renew our neighbourhoods and high streets.

Spalding, South Holland, is among 75 places receiving up to £20 million annually for a decade, providing long-term planning certainty.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is her Department's policy that (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers use the disappearing messages function on Whatsapp on Government devices.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The department’s policy is to follow the Cabinet Office’s published guidance on the use of non-corporate communication channels.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discissions she has had with the signatories of the Pelindaba Treaty on their future adherence to that Treaty, in the context of (a) the transfer of sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius and (b) potential future UK or US military operations including the stationing or transit of nuclear weapons on Diego Garcia.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

For the reasons explained at length on previous occasions, no such discussions are required or intended. We will continue to operate the base exactly as we have done before.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken with local authorities to improve road infrastructure in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Lincolnshire County Council is the local highway authority for South Holland and The Deepings, and it sits within the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority (GLCCA). GLCCA are eligible to receive £368,646,000 in the next four years and received £73,478,000 million in highways maintenance funding in 2025/26.

The Department also introduced a new traffic light rating system for all local highway authorities in England on 11 January. All authorities are assessed annually and receive a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their roads, and whether they do so use best practice. This system is designed to highlight where authorities need support, as well as to encourage continuous improvement.

Lincolnshire County Council received an overall amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, amber for spend and amber for best practice.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many public sector pensions have been forfeited due to convictions for violent crimes in each of the last 10 years.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

HM Treasury does not administer public sector pension schemes, and does not hold this information.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether it is his Department policy that (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers use the disappearing messages function on Whatsapp on Government devices.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Ministers, Special Advisers and Civil Service staff are required to follow the Non-Corporate Communication Channels (NCCC) guidance on GOV.UK when using WhatsApp or similar communications tools. This guidance explains ministers’ responsibilities for keeping an accurate official record. Paragraph 24 of this guidance states that ‘disappearing message functions have a role in limiting the build up of messages on devices. You must ensure that any such use does not impact on your recordkeeping or transparency responsibilities’.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of the Connect the Classroom funding will be spent on schools in South Holland and the Deepings constituency

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

As part of our Education Estates Strategy, a 10-year plan to transform schools and colleges across England, we will provide targeted support for digital connectivity. As part of this £325 million of funding will be used for the expansion of Connect the Classroom and to support hard to reach schools to access fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband. New selection criteria will be announced in the summer.

Connect the Classroom is currently supporting schools on the regional improvement for standards and excellence programme, ensuring that poor connectivity isn’t a barrier to school improvement. To date, over £900,000 of Connect the Classroom funding has been spent on schools in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were unemployed for over 12 months in South Holland and the Deepings constituency in the last 12 months, and what proportion of those people were unemployed for 18 months or more.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The information requested is not available, due to small sample sizes on the survey used to estimate unemployment in constituencies. National level estimates of unemployment of more than 12 months duration are available in ONS Table UNEM01.

There is published information on the number of years duration of UC claims by conditionality regime by constituency on Stat-Xplore (Stat-Xplore - Table View), but this does not identify 18 months as a cut-off.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to revoke pensions from police officers convicted of violent crimes.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

A police officer’s pension may be forfeited where an individual has been convicted of a criminal offence committed in connection with their service as a police officer, which the Secretary of State has certified as either gravely injurious to the interests of the State, or liable to lead to a serious loss of confidence.

Decisions on whether to forfeit a police officer’s pension and, if so, to what extent, are a matter for the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) of the relevant force. Whilst a PCC cannot forfeit a pension in these circumstances without a certificate from the Secretary of State, the issuance of such a certificate does not oblige them to proceed with forfeiture. Such decisions are made independently of government, and on a case-by-case basis.

It is not possible for the Secretary of State to proactively seek an application for a pension forfeiture certificate, or to issue such a certificate, without an application first being made by the relevant PCC. There are no current plans to amend these regulatory arrangements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her Department's policy that (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers use the disappearing messages function on Whatsapp on Government devices.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The primary guidance that ministers and officials should follow is the Non-Corporate Communications Channels (NCCCs).

Guidance issued by the Government Digital Service: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-corporate-communication-channels-for-government-business

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many freedom of information requests his Department has responded to in each of the last five years.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Freedom of Information statistics for all central government bodies, including the Cabinet Office, are published on a quarterly and annual basis on Gov.UK at www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that decisions to section individuals are based on the merits of the case in question and not on ethnicity.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Decisions to detain patients under the Mental Health Act should not be based on ethnicity. The reforms under the Mental Health Act 2025 ensure that detention is used when absolutely necessary for patient and public safety. The planned reforms will not change the fundamental powers and purpose of the act, which is to detain and treat people when they are so unwell they become a risk to themselves or others.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to help improve access to whole genome sequencing for diagnosis of brain tumours.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Cancer Plan will support England to be a world leader on cancer research and innovation. The Department’s actions will support patients in England to get access to the latest breakthroughs in care and treatment. This will aid the health and care system to prevent, detect, and better treat and manage a wider range of cancers contributing to improved survival rates enabling 320,000 lives to be saved by 2035.

Every cancer patient who would benefit from a genomic test, including patients with brain cancer, will receive one in a clinically relevant timeframe, supported by expanded genomic testing capacity through new NHS Genomic Medicine Service Lead Provider contracts from April 2026. This is in addition to increasing the use of whole genome sequencing in routine clinical practice for children with cancer or rare diseases.

Furthermore, Genomic testing will support access to clinical trials, with plans to expand ctDNA and other biomarker testing to a wider range of cancers by 2030, enabling personalised treatment pathways for rare cancers such as brain tumours.

Investment in four new aseptic medicines production hubs, operational by 2027, will expand national capacity for systemic anticancer therapies, including immunotherapies. To support improved outcomes for rare cancer patients, they will benefit from a move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams, that cover multiple providers. This will allow them to benefit from the input of specialist centres and so access to the best evidence care. This will be underpinned by continued engagement with rare cancer charities to ensure patients receive the right support after treatment.

Rare cancers, including brain tumours, are an explicit research and access priority in the National Cancer Plan, supported by National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) investment, such as the £13.7 million NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium and measures to accelerate breakthroughs in diagnostics and treatment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve access to immunotherapy for brain tumour patients.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Cancer Plan will support England to be a world leader on cancer research and innovation. The Department’s actions will support patients in England to get access to the latest breakthroughs in care and treatment. This will aid the health and care system to prevent, detect, and better treat and manage a wider range of cancers contributing to improved survival rates enabling 320,000 lives to be saved by 2035.

Every cancer patient who would benefit from a genomic test, including patients with brain cancer, will receive one in a clinically relevant timeframe, supported by expanded genomic testing capacity through new NHS Genomic Medicine Service Lead Provider contracts from April 2026. This is in addition to increasing the use of whole genome sequencing in routine clinical practice for children with cancer or rare diseases.

Furthermore, Genomic testing will support access to clinical trials, with plans to expand ctDNA and other biomarker testing to a wider range of cancers by 2030, enabling personalised treatment pathways for rare cancers such as brain tumours.

Investment in four new aseptic medicines production hubs, operational by 2027, will expand national capacity for systemic anticancer therapies, including immunotherapies. To support improved outcomes for rare cancer patients, they will benefit from a move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams, that cover multiple providers. This will allow them to benefit from the input of specialist centres and so access to the best evidence care. This will be underpinned by continued engagement with rare cancer charities to ensure patients receive the right support after treatment.

Rare cancers, including brain tumours, are an explicit research and access priority in the National Cancer Plan, supported by National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) investment, such as the £13.7 million NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium and measures to accelerate breakthroughs in diagnostics and treatment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to increase early diagnosis for child brain tumours.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more patients survive, including children with brain tumours.

Early diagnosis of cancers is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan. The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity.

Through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is committed to speeding up the detection and diagnosis of cancer in children and young people, ensuring their needs are embedded into the design of the neighborhood health service, improving access to specialist support and ensuring safe use of artificial intelligence based decision tools. This commitment sits alongside wider action to transform cancer care for children and young people.

To improve the outcomes and experience of children and young people with cancer, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce on 4 February 2025. Since its launch, the taskforce has brought together experts across a range of sectors to identify tangible improvements across four areas: early detection and diagnosis; genomic testing and treatment; research and innovation; and patient experience, considering both clinical and non-clinical care. The taskforce ensured that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer were carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan for England.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it is his Department's policy that (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers use the disappearing messages function on Whatsapp on Government devices.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence follows HM Government policy published on gov.uk on the use of WhatsApp. This recognises that non-corporate communication channels such as WhatsApp may be used exceptionally provided due care is given for security and recordkeeping. ‘Disappearing message’ functions are permitted by the HMG policy on the condition that “any such use does not impact on your recordkeeping or transparency responsibilities”.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether it is her Department's policy that (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers use the disappearing messages function on Whatsapp on Government devices.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Cabinet Office guidance on the use of non-corporate communication channels, published under the previous government, on 30 March 2023: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-corporate-communication-channels-for-government-business.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff within her Department are reliant on a visa for employment.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

As of 01 March 2026, the Home Office had 186 employees with a visa type which allows them time limited right to work in the UK.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS dental appointments have been (a) delivered and (b) cancelled in Lincolnshire in each of the last 3 years.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following table shows the number of National Health Service dental treatments delivered in the first seven months of the 2025/26 financial year, in the Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board:

Source: Monthly National Dental Activity data – England July 2023 to October 2025, available at the following link:
https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/dental-activity-data-england-july-2023-to-october-2025

In addition, the following table shows the available data for the number of NHS dental treatments delivered in 2023/24 and 2024/25, in the Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board:

Source: dental statistics for England 2024/25 and 2023/24, available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202425

Data for dentistry is measured in courses of treatment, not appointments. One course of treatment can be more than one appointment. Data on the number of NHS dental appointments cancelled is not held.

The data for 2023/24 and 2024/25 are not directly comparable with the 2025/26 data due to the 2025/26 data being provisional. Final data for 2025/26 will be published in August 2026. Furthermore, the 2025/26 data covers 7 months of activity, but the 2023/24 and 2024/25 data covers the full 12-month period.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff within his Department are reliant on a visa for employment.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip