Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vehicles were purchased by National Highways by car manufacturer in each year since 2014.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The number of vehicles purchased, per year since 2014 and by car manufacturer, by National Highways is on the attached table.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 26897 on Data Centres: Planning, what assessment his Department has made of the grid (a) capacity and (b) infrastructure that will be required for new data centres.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The National Electricity System Operator (NESO) is investigating the future power consumption of data centres, as well as grid constraints, lead times for developers, and how to improve connection processes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vehicles in the National Highways fleet are aged (a) up to one year, (b) between one and two years, (c) between three and five years and (d) older than five years.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The National Highways fleet consists of:

• 147 vehicles aged up to one year;

• 195 vehicles aged between one and two years;

• 708 vehicles aged between three and five years; and

• 108 vehicles older than five years.

National Highways continues to manage its fleet efficiently to ensure operational effectiveness and value for money.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2025 to Question 27405 on Highways England: Carbon Emissions, what the carbon emissions were by (a) source and (b) activity in each year since 2014.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Below is a breakdown of National Highways’ (NH) Carbon Emissions, covering the period 2021/22 to 2023/24.

Carbon emissions prior to this were not reported to this level and are not available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of what the level of carbon emissions from National Highways will be in each year between 2025 and 2040.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

National Highways set-out its ambitions for putting roads at the heart of Britain’s net zero future within its ‘Net zero highways: our 2030 / 2040 / 2050 plan’ published in 2021. This includes details on emissions reductions goals and the steps that National Highways will take within the period 2025 to 2040. Additionally, the ‘Strategic road network initial report: 2025-2030’, published in 2023, proposes how National Highways in the next five years will specifically support the third road investment strategy (RIS3) development objective of improved environmental outcomes, set out in the ‘Planning Ahead for the Strategic Road Network’ document. The contribution of RIS3 to National Highways’ carbon emissions will be considered as part of the underpinning analysis when RIS3 is set later in 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value was of vehicles (a) purchased and (b) sold by National Highways in each year since 2014.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The value of vehicles purchased and sold by National Highways since 2014 is broken down as follows:

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) petrol, (b) diesel, (c) hydrogen, (d) hybrid, (e) plug-in hybrid and (f) fully electric vehicles were purchased by National Highways in each year since 2014.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The number of vehicles purchased by National Highways since 2014, broken down by engine type, is as follows:

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 26900 on Highways England: Vehicles, whether her Department plans to sell National Highway’s (a) diesel and (b) plug-in hybrid vehicles before 2027; and when those vehicles were purchased.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Operational decisions on its vehicle fleet are made by National Highways; the fleet replacement strategy is to retain vehicles for an operational period of around 3 to 4 years, subject to factors such as mileage, general condition, and suitability for ongoing operational use. National Highways contracts with vehicle disposal agents that use auction services to repurpose and sell its vehicles at the end of their operational life.

The table below details the current number of diesel and plug-in hybrid vehicles which were added to National Highways’ fleet (by year, since 2018) to align with the governments’ Road to Zero Strategy for vehicle replacements.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether it is his policy to allow the Research Excellence Framework people, culture and environment pilot to go forward.

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

Research England has notified the Department about their plans for developing the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2029, which includes the People, Culture, and Environment pilot. This pilot aims to assess the feasibility and practicality of incorporating this element into the REF. The findings will guide future developments of the REF. Final decisions on the REF's structure will be made after the pilot concludes and further engagement with the sector.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when Research England informed his Department of their plans for the (a) Research Excellence Framework 2029 and (b) people, culture and environment pilot.

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

Research England has notified the Department about their plans for developing the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2029, which includes the People, Culture, and Environment pilot. This pilot aims to assess the feasibility and practicality of incorporating this element into the REF. The findings will guide future developments of the REF. Final decisions on the REF's structure will be made after the pilot concludes and further engagement with the sector.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to accept Research England’s proposed changes to the research excellence framework.

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

Research England has notified the Department about their plans for developing the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2029, which includes the People, Culture, and Environment pilot. This pilot aims to assess the feasibility and practicality of incorporating this element into the REF. The findings will guide future developments of the REF. Final decisions on the REF's structure will be made after the pilot concludes and further engagement with the sector.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applicants trained abroad were accepted for residency positions with NHS providers in each year since 2020.

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

The number of British nationals who accepted medical specialty training posts in 2024 was 8,017, and the number of non-British nationals accepting posts was 5,882. The number of applicants trained outside of the United Kingdom who were rejected at different stages of the medical specialty training recruitment processes in 2024 was 5,814. This does not include applicants who were not rejected but who chose to withdraw themselves from at least one of their applications. The number of domestically trained applicants accepting an offer of a place within the 2024 medical specialty recruitment process was 8,537. The number of non-domestically trained applicants accepting an offer of a place within the 2024 medical specialty recruitment process was 5,324.

Information on medical specialty recruitment in 2021, 2022, and 2023 is published by NHS England, and is available at the following link:

https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/equality-and-diversity

This includes information for each individual medical specialty programme on the number of applications made, the number of appointable applicants, the number of offers made, and the number of accepted roles. The information is available by nationality group and country of qualification. The published data looks at each medical speciality separately. Many applicants will apply for more than one specialty, and the published data does not show the number of unique applicants who were successful for at least one specialty or rejected for all, as presented for the 2024 round, as the Department does not hold that data.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applicants trained abroad were rejected for residency positions with NHS providers in each year since 2020.

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

The number of British nationals who accepted medical specialty training posts in 2024 was 8,017, and the number of non-British nationals accepting posts was 5,882. The number of applicants trained outside of the United Kingdom who were rejected at different stages of the medical specialty training recruitment processes in 2024 was 5,814. This does not include applicants who were not rejected but who chose to withdraw themselves from at least one of their applications. The number of domestically trained applicants accepting an offer of a place within the 2024 medical specialty recruitment process was 8,537. The number of non-domestically trained applicants accepting an offer of a place within the 2024 medical specialty recruitment process was 5,324.

Information on medical specialty recruitment in 2021, 2022, and 2023 is published by NHS England, and is available at the following link:

https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/equality-and-diversity

This includes information for each individual medical specialty programme on the number of applications made, the number of appointable applicants, the number of offers made, and the number of accepted roles. The information is available by nationality group and country of qualification. The published data looks at each medical speciality separately. Many applicants will apply for more than one specialty, and the published data does not show the number of unique applicants who were successful for at least one specialty or rejected for all, as presented for the 2024 round, as the Department does not hold that data.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department provides to ambulance trusts to help ensure adequate (a) coverage and (b) response times.

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

On 30 January 2025, NHS England published the 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance. This set out the actions to be taken by the National Health Service in 2025/26 to improve ambulance response times. The planning guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/2025-26-priorities-and-operational-planning-guidance/

Information on further actions to support improvements in urgent and emergency care services during 2025/26 will be published at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Written Statement of 10 February 2025 HCWS424, whether generation dispatched by the National Energy System Operator from Drax power station will count towards the maximum load factor to receive subsidies.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Yes. Under the low carbon dispatchable CfD, there will be a cap on the volume of electricity generation subsidised across the year. The cap is set with reference to maximum seasonal load factors (with Winter higher than Summer, to reflect system requirements). All generation by Drax Power Station will count towards the cap on subsidised generation. This includes generation that results from actions taken by NESO to balance the electricity system, such as through the Balancing Mechanism and balancing services markets.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many domestically trained applicants were accepted for residency positions with NHS providers in each year since 2020.

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

The number of British nationals who accepted medical specialty training posts in 2024 was 8,017, and the number of non-British nationals accepting posts was 5,882. The number of applicants trained outside of the United Kingdom who were rejected at different stages of the medical specialty training recruitment processes in 2024 was 5,814. This does not include applicants who were not rejected but who chose to withdraw themselves from at least one of their applications. The number of domestically trained applicants accepting an offer of a place within the 2024 medical specialty recruitment process was 8,537. The number of non-domestically trained applicants accepting an offer of a place within the 2024 medical specialty recruitment process was 5,324.

Information on medical specialty recruitment in 2021, 2022, and 2023 is published by NHS England, and is available at the following link:

https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/equality-and-diversity

This includes information for each individual medical specialty programme on the number of applications made, the number of appointable applicants, the number of offers made, and the number of accepted roles. The information is available by nationality group and country of qualification. The published data looks at each medical speciality separately. Many applicants will apply for more than one specialty, and the published data does not show the number of unique applicants who were successful for at least one specialty or rejected for all, as presented for the 2024 round, as the Department does not hold that data.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) British nationals, and (b) foreign nationals were given residency positions in each year since 2020.

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

The number of British nationals who accepted medical specialty training posts in 2024 was 8,017, and the number of non-British nationals accepting posts was 5,882. The number of applicants trained outside of the United Kingdom who were rejected at different stages of the medical specialty training recruitment processes in 2024 was 5,814. This does not include applicants who were not rejected but who chose to withdraw themselves from at least one of their applications. The number of domestically trained applicants accepting an offer of a place within the 2024 medical specialty recruitment process was 8,537. The number of non-domestically trained applicants accepting an offer of a place within the 2024 medical specialty recruitment process was 5,324.

Information on medical specialty recruitment in 2021, 2022, and 2023 is published by NHS England, and is available at the following link:

https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/equality-and-diversity

This includes information for each individual medical specialty programme on the number of applications made, the number of appointable applicants, the number of offers made, and the number of accepted roles. The information is available by nationality group and country of qualification. The published data looks at each medical speciality separately. Many applicants will apply for more than one specialty, and the published data does not show the number of unique applicants who were successful for at least one specialty or rejected for all, as presented for the 2024 round, as the Department does not hold that data.

Found: England and senior board director at the England and Wales Cricket Board ● Nick Timothy

Found: _NC30 Sir Ashley Fox Mr Peter Bedford Jim Allister Ellie Chowns Robin Swann Nick Timothy Steve

Found: _NC30 Sir Ashley Fox Mr Peter Bedford Jim Allister Ellie Chowns Robin Swann Nick Timothy Steve

Found: _NC30 Sir Ashley Fox Mr Peter Bedford Jim Allister Ellie Chowns Robin Swann Nick Timothy Steve

Found: _NC30 Sir Ashley Fox Mr Peter Bedford Jim Allister Ellie Chowns Robin Swann Nick Timothy .

Found: Greg Smith (Mid Buckinghamshire) (Con) • Dr Marie Tidball (Penistone and Stocksbridge) (Lab) • Nick Timothy

Found: _NC30 Sir Ashley Fox Mr Peter Bedford Jim Allister Ellie Chowns Robin Swann Nick Timothy ★.