Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure there is sufficient future supported housing to meet demand.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 69642, on 4 September 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the forthcoming long-term housing strategy will address the (a) viability and (b) supply of supported housing.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government intends to publish a long-term housing strategy later this year. For obvious reasons, we do not intend to share details about tis content ahead of publication.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to compensate those adversely affected by the Loan Charge scandal.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

At Autumn Budget 2024, the government committed to an independent review of the Loan Charge to help bring the matter to a close for those affected whilst ensuring fairness for all taxpayers. The Government will respond by Autumn Budget 2025.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 61000 on Hunting, what recent progress he has made to ban trail-hunting.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Work is ongoing to determine the best approach to deliver the manifesto commitment to ban trail hunting. We have committed to running a consultation to ensure those with an interest can input. We will share further details in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many overseas care workers hold sponsorship visas which will expire within the next 12 months.

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

The Home Office publishes data on sponsored work visas by occupation in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on grants of visas for ‘Caring Personal Services’ occupations, by quarter, are published in table ‘Occ_D02’ of the sponsored work visas by occupation and industry dataset. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. Data is from January 2021 up to the end of June 2025.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many overseas care workers are working on sponsorship visas from their employers.

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

The Home Office publishes data on sponsored work visas by occupation in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on grants of visas for ‘Caring Personal Services’ occupations, by quarter, are published in table ‘Occ_D02’ of the sponsored work visas by occupation and industry dataset. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. Data is from January 2021 up to the end of June 2025.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what administrative steps her Department takes in relation to an overseas care worker whose sponsorship visa has (a) expired or (b) been terminated.

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

There are no unique arrangements for care workers whose leave has expired and have been unable to find a suitable full-time vacancy in the sector prior to the expiration of their leave.

Individuals would be expected to regularise their stay or make arrangements to leave the UK.

Where employment has been terminated due to a sponsor being revoked or suspended, the worker is signposted to the relevant Regional Partnership for support.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of HMRC processes for collecting outstanding tax payments.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC is committed to making sure that individuals and businesses who can pay, do so on time. Autumn Budget 2024 and Spring Statement 2025 allocated a further £629 million to HMRC’s debt collection activities, which will help it to collect over £11 billion more debt by the end of 2029-30. HMRC announced in its Transformation Roadmap that it will provide more detail by the end of 2025 on how it will reduce debt year on year as a percentage of receipts.

HMRC has effective processes in place to collect outstanding payments including telephone and letter campaigns, strategic partnerships with private sector debt collection agencies, and where necessary, enforcement action. For customers who need financial support, it offers flexible Time to Pay payment plans which collect debt in affordable and sustainable instalments.

HMRC continually reviews and refines its approach to ensure that its interventions remain effective and provide appropriate support to customers.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what military support his Department is providing to Israel.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

UK military support being provided to Israel is for the specific purpose of hostage rescue and recovery. Previously the UK also acted to support Israel's right to self-defence during Iran's direct attacks in April and October 2024.

On hostage rescue, the UK Government continues to work with partners across the region, including Israel, to secure the release of hostages.  The Ministry of Defence have been supporting this effort by conducting unarmed surveillance flights over the Eastern Mediterranean, including in airspace over Israel and Gaza.

Support to hostage rescue does not mean the UK is participating in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Surveillance flights are tasked with the sole purpose of hostage rescue and our mandate is narrowly defined to focus on securing the release and recovery of hostages. We control what information is shared with Israel and only information relating to hostage rescue is passed to the relevant Israeli authority.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of funding (a) ICBs and (b) NHS trusts to purchase private hospitals.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to delivering an NHS that is fit for the future through our 10-Year Health Plan. We recognise that delivering high quality NHS healthcare services requires safe, sustainable, and effective infrastructure. That is why we prioritised investment in healthcare at the recent Spending Review, delivering the largest ever health capital budget.

The New Hospital Programme is transforming the design and delivery of new hospital infrastructure and there are no plans for other national programmes of new hospital development or acquisition at this time. At a local level, integrated care boards (ICBs) and NHS Trusts are responsible for infrastructure planning, managing the operational capital allocations for their respective local areas, and acquiring new facilities.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her planned timetable is for publishing the outcome of the Arts Council England review.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Baroness Hodge will share her findings with the government in the Autumn of 2025, and the government will publish the conclusions of the review along with the government’s response in 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency plans to renew its contract with Specsavers to provide eye tests for people over 70.

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

All drivers who notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of an underlying medical condition that may affect their visual field, regardless of age, are required to have a visual field test with the DVLA’s contracted eye test provider. Specsavers. The current contract for this purpose was awarded to Specsavers in February 2025 following a competitive tender exercise.

The contract is for three years with the option to extend for up to another two years.

Access to school and college transport for disabled young people

Conduct of Prince Andrew

Menopause Awareness Month

Drug deaths (No. 2)

Life Beyond the Glassworks project and the Thursday Club

UN International Year of Co-operatives

Barry Winter

Commemoration of H G Wells’ birthday

Job reductions at news publisher Reach plc

Award of honorary posthumous England cap to Frank Soo

National Coal Mining Museum strike

Ricky Hatton MBE

Protect our hospices

International Credit Union Day

London Underground cleaners

Leeds Stand Up To Racism’s event

Anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street

Extinction of the slender-billed curlew

Pavement parking

Statement on Palestine by children's authors, illustrators and educators

Skilled Worker Visa eligibility rules and transport workers

Potential merits of a prohibition on serving hon. Members as private landlords

Mental health care in Gaza

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the RAF’s dual-capable aircraft programme will be delivered.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave to Question 63225 on 7 July 2025 to the hon. Member for Poole (Neil Duncan-Jordan).

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-06-26/63225

Found: Amos Manuela Perteghella Alex Brewer Cameron Thomas Zöe Franklin Ellie Chowns Tom Morrison Neil Duncan-Jordan

Found: _NC21 Neil Duncan-Jordan Chris Hinchliff Sammy Wilson Shockat Adam Nadia Whittome Apsana Begum Imran

Found: Not called_NC21 Neil Duncan-Jordan Chris Hinchliff Sammy Wilson Shockat Adam Nadia Whittome Apsana Begum

Found: Amos Manuela Perteghella Alex Brewer Cameron Thomas Zöe Franklin Ellie Chowns Tom Morrison Neil Duncan-Jordan

Found: _NC21 Neil Duncan-Jordan .