Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2025 to question 93149, whether RISE advisors will be dismissed if they do not meet the Programme-level Key Performance Indicators.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

RISE advisers are managed in line with the Civil Service performance management framework. Any issues or concerns, including whether performance objectives are being met, will be addressed through the established Civil Service performance management process.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral answer of 26 November 2025, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 1331, on West Midlands Police: Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans, whether she has asked the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police if (a) West Midlands Police and (b) Safety Advisory Group were subject to partisan campaigning calling for the banning of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv Europa League game of 6 November 2025.

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

I wrote to the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police on 24 November to request an urgent update clarifying the provenance of the intelligence gathered by his force and his confidence in this. The Chief Constable replied on 28 November. I again wrote on 10 December, in the interests of transparency, seeking clarification of the engagement the West Midlands Police undertook with Jewish community stakeholders to inform its community impact assessment.

The Home Office routinely engages with international partners as part of its departmental interests in policing, border security and immigration. Officials have met with Dutch counterparts in recent weeks on these matters, including as part of efforts to ensure full transparency around the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the fixture against Aston Villa in November.

The gathering and assessment of police intelligence is a matter for West Midlands Police, and the United Kingdom Football Policing Unit who undertake the role of National Football Information Point.

To ensure full independent scrutiny, the Home Secretary has commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to inspect how police forces in England and Wales provide risk assessment advice to local Safety Advisory Groups and other bodies responsible for licensing high-profile public events. HMICFRS has been asked to provide an initial response on the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv match by 31 December.

Additionally, the Home Affairs Select Committee held an evidence session on 1 December to examine the decision-making process and intelligence assessments. The government awaits the Committee’s findings. Correspondence between the Committee and relevant parties is routinely published on the Committee’s official website.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral answer of 26 November 2025, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 1331, on West Midlands Police: Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans, whether she has asked the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police to publicly disclose the list of (a) individuals and (b) organisations which provided information to that police force in relation to the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv Europa League game of 6 November 2025.

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

I wrote to the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police on 24 November to request an urgent update clarifying the provenance of the intelligence gathered by his force and his confidence in this. The Chief Constable replied on 28 November. I again wrote on 10 December, in the interests of transparency, seeking clarification of the engagement the West Midlands Police undertook with Jewish community stakeholders to inform its community impact assessment.

The Home Office routinely engages with international partners as part of its departmental interests in policing, border security and immigration. Officials have met with Dutch counterparts in recent weeks on these matters, including as part of efforts to ensure full transparency around the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the fixture against Aston Villa in November.

The gathering and assessment of police intelligence is a matter for West Midlands Police, and the United Kingdom Football Policing Unit who undertake the role of National Football Information Point.

To ensure full independent scrutiny, the Home Secretary has commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to inspect how police forces in England and Wales provide risk assessment advice to local Safety Advisory Groups and other bodies responsible for licensing high-profile public events. HMICFRS has been asked to provide an initial response on the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv match by 31 December.

Additionally, the Home Affairs Select Committee held an evidence session on 1 December to examine the decision-making process and intelligence assessments. The government awaits the Committee’s findings. Correspondence between the Committee and relevant parties is routinely published on the Committee’s official website.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Oral Answer of 26 November 2025, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 1331, on West Midlands Police: Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans, what recent discussions she has had with the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police on the Hind Rajab Foundation providing information to that police force in relation to the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv Europe League game of 6 November 2025.

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

I wrote to the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police on 24 November to request an urgent update clarifying the provenance of the intelligence gathered by his force and his confidence in this. The Chief Constable replied on 28 November. I again wrote on 10 December, in the interests of transparency, seeking clarification of the engagement the West Midlands Police undertook with Jewish community stakeholders to inform its community impact assessment.

The Home Office routinely engages with international partners as part of its departmental interests in policing, border security and immigration. Officials have met with Dutch counterparts in recent weeks on these matters, including as part of efforts to ensure full transparency around the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the fixture against Aston Villa in November.

The gathering and assessment of police intelligence is a matter for West Midlands Police, and the United Kingdom Football Policing Unit who undertake the role of National Football Information Point.

To ensure full independent scrutiny, the Home Secretary has commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to inspect how police forces in England and Wales provide risk assessment advice to local Safety Advisory Groups and other bodies responsible for licensing high-profile public events. HMICFRS has been asked to provide an initial response on the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv match by 31 December.

Additionally, the Home Affairs Select Committee held an evidence session on 1 December to examine the decision-making process and intelligence assessments. The government awaits the Committee’s findings. Correspondence between the Committee and relevant parties is routinely published on the Committee’s official website.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral answer of 26 November 2025, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 1331, on West Midlands Police: Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans, whether she has asked the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police if that police force received intelligence input from other police forces in England in relation to the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv Europa League game of 6 November 2025.

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

I wrote to the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police on 24 November to request an urgent update clarifying the provenance of the intelligence gathered by his force and his confidence in this. The Chief Constable replied on 28 November. I again wrote on 10 December, in the interests of transparency, seeking clarification of the engagement the West Midlands Police undertook with Jewish community stakeholders to inform its community impact assessment.

The Home Office routinely engages with international partners as part of its departmental interests in policing, border security and immigration. Officials have met with Dutch counterparts in recent weeks on these matters, including as part of efforts to ensure full transparency around the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the fixture against Aston Villa in November.

The gathering and assessment of police intelligence is a matter for West Midlands Police, and the United Kingdom Football Policing Unit who undertake the role of National Football Information Point.

To ensure full independent scrutiny, the Home Secretary has commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to inspect how police forces in England and Wales provide risk assessment advice to local Safety Advisory Groups and other bodies responsible for licensing high-profile public events. HMICFRS has been asked to provide an initial response on the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv match by 31 December.

Additionally, the Home Affairs Select Committee held an evidence session on 1 December to examine the decision-making process and intelligence assessments. The government awaits the Committee’s findings. Correspondence between the Committee and relevant parties is routinely published on the Committee’s official website.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Pursuant to the oral answer of 26 November 2025, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 1331, on West Midlands Police: Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans, following statements from Dutch police authorities on the assessment of West Midlands Police about (a) Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and (b) violence around the Ajax v Maccabi Tel Aviv Europa League game in November 2024, what recent discussions she has had with the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police.

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

I wrote to the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police on 24 November to request an urgent update clarifying the provenance of the intelligence gathered by his force and his confidence in this. The Chief Constable replied on 28 November. I again wrote on 10 December, in the interests of transparency, seeking clarification of the engagement the West Midlands Police undertook with Jewish community stakeholders to inform its community impact assessment.

The Home Office routinely engages with international partners as part of its departmental interests in policing, border security and immigration. Officials have met with Dutch counterparts in recent weeks on these matters, including as part of efforts to ensure full transparency around the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the fixture against Aston Villa in November.

The gathering and assessment of police intelligence is a matter for West Midlands Police, and the United Kingdom Football Policing Unit who undertake the role of National Football Information Point.

To ensure full independent scrutiny, the Home Secretary has commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to inspect how police forces in England and Wales provide risk assessment advice to local Safety Advisory Groups and other bodies responsible for licensing high-profile public events. HMICFRS has been asked to provide an initial response on the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv match by 31 December.

Additionally, the Home Affairs Select Committee held an evidence session on 1 December to examine the decision-making process and intelligence assessments. The government awaits the Committee’s findings. Correspondence between the Committee and relevant parties is routinely published on the Committee’s official website.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral answer of 26 November 2025, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 1331, on West Midlands Police: Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans, what discussions her Department has had with Dutch police authorities about the Ajax v Maccabi Tel Aviv Europa League game in November 2024.

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

I wrote to the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police on 24 November to request an urgent update clarifying the provenance of the intelligence gathered by his force and his confidence in this. The Chief Constable replied on 28 November. I again wrote on 10 December, in the interests of transparency, seeking clarification of the engagement the West Midlands Police undertook with Jewish community stakeholders to inform its community impact assessment.

The Home Office routinely engages with international partners as part of its departmental interests in policing, border security and immigration. Officials have met with Dutch counterparts in recent weeks on these matters, including as part of efforts to ensure full transparency around the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the fixture against Aston Villa in November.

The gathering and assessment of police intelligence is a matter for West Midlands Police, and the United Kingdom Football Policing Unit who undertake the role of National Football Information Point.

To ensure full independent scrutiny, the Home Secretary has commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to inspect how police forces in England and Wales provide risk assessment advice to local Safety Advisory Groups and other bodies responsible for licensing high-profile public events. HMICFRS has been asked to provide an initial response on the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv match by 31 December.

Additionally, the Home Affairs Select Committee held an evidence session on 1 December to examine the decision-making process and intelligence assessments. The government awaits the Committee’s findings. Correspondence between the Committee and relevant parties is routinely published on the Committee’s official website.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress his Department has made in assisting law enforcement agencies responding to the Legal Aid Agency data breach on 23 April 2025.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Since the serious criminal attack on the Legal Aid Agency’s digital portal was identified, we have worked closely with the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the police. As sensitive investigations remain ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment on the nature or detail of this engagement.

We take the security of people’s personal data extremely seriously. An injunction has been put in place to prohibit sharing of this data. Anyone who does so could be sent to prison. We are continuing to work with the NCA to monitor the dark web. As far as we are aware, no data has been shared or put out in the public domain. If it is identified that a specific individual is at risk, action will be taken to try to contact them.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what representations has he received from (a) barristers, (b) solicitors, and (c) legal aid providers regarding the Legal Aid Agency data breach on 23 April 2025.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We acknowledge and appreciate the constructive way that providers have worked with us following the serious criminal attack on the Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) digital systems. They have continued to do vital work in challenging circumstances.

The LAA and Ministers have proactively engaged with representative bodies throughout to address any concerns regarding the criminal attack on LAA systems. Our focus was first to maintain access to justice and then to ensure providers had access to the cash flow that they needed. The LAA sought views and feedback from provider representative bodies to help shape contingency measures and supporting guidance in a way which supports legal aid providers most effectively. Regular updates have been provided to legal aid providers via email and published on the LAA’s dedicated cyber incident webpage and FAQ page.

The Department has worked around the clock to ensure that digital services were restored as swiftly and safely as possible. The LAA Portal has been replaced by a new, secure single sign-in tool for LAA online services (SiLAS). We worked closely with providers to test functionality before bringing providers back onto our systems in a careful, phased approach. We are now in a position where all our civil systems accessible via SiLAS are operational alongside our crime systems, which were restored in September.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken to restore Legal Aid Agency digital services since the data breach on 23 April 2025.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We acknowledge and appreciate the constructive way that providers have worked with us following the serious criminal attack on the Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) digital systems. They have continued to do vital work in challenging circumstances.

The LAA and Ministers have proactively engaged with representative bodies throughout to address any concerns regarding the criminal attack on LAA systems. Our focus was first to maintain access to justice and then to ensure providers had access to the cash flow that they needed. The LAA sought views and feedback from provider representative bodies to help shape contingency measures and supporting guidance in a way which supports legal aid providers most effectively. Regular updates have been provided to legal aid providers via email and published on the LAA’s dedicated cyber incident webpage and FAQ page.

The Department has worked around the clock to ensure that digital services were restored as swiftly and safely as possible. The LAA Portal has been replaced by a new, secure single sign-in tool for LAA online services (SiLAS). We worked closely with providers to test functionality before bringing providers back onto our systems in a careful, phased approach. We are now in a position where all our civil systems accessible via SiLAS are operational alongside our crime systems, which were restored in September.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will carry out a public consultation on removing (a) racehorse training yards and (b) racecourses from the Retail, Hospitality, and Leisure business rate relief scheme.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is introducing new permanently lower business rates tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values below £500,000.

On 16 October 2025, the Government published legislation and accompanying guidance detailing the eligibility criteria for the new multipliers. To ensure the new tax rates are appropriately targeted, only properties that are wholly or mainly used for providing RHL activity (as defined in legislation) to visiting members of the public are eligible for the new multipliers. This is in line with the eligibility criteria for the current RHL business rates relief, and includes racecourses and racehorse training grounds with retable values below £500,000 that are open to members of the public. Further details on what is meant by “visiting members of the public” can be found online here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-rates-multipliers-qualifying-retail-hospitality-or-leisure.

As the Government has not removed racehorse training yards and racecourses from being eligible for RHL business rates support, the Government does not intend to public a consultation on this.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign students have had their visas revoked because of nationality security concerns since 2015, broken down by (a) year, and (b) nationality.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The information requested is not centrally held and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the assessment for electric Vehicle Excise Duty will differentiate between (a) domestic and (b) overseas mileage for (i) electric vehicles and (ii) plug-in hybrids.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, recognising that EVs (electric vehicles) contribute to congestion and wear and tear on the roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty. The taxation of motoring is a critical source of funding for public services and investment in infrastructure.

The Government has ruled out charging tax based on when or where people drive to protect motorists’ privacy. This means non-UK mileage driven by UK registered cars will fall into scope of eVED, as with fuel duty, which does not vary by basis of where a car is driven.

The vast majority of eVED will be paid on travel in the UK; there were an estimated 225 billion car miles in Great Britain in 2024, and over nine billion miles travelled by car in Northern Ireland in 2023.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the assessment for electric Vehicle Excise Duty will differentiate between (a) petrol, (b) diesel and (c) electricity usage for plug-in hybrids.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, recognising that EVs contribute to congestion and wear and tear on the roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty. The taxation of motoring is a critical source of funding for public services and investment in infrastructure.

eVED rates will be set at 3p per mile for electric cars, which is around half of the fuel duty rate paid by the average petrol/diesel driver, and 1.5p per mile for plug-in hybrid cars, given that they will continue to be subject to fuel duty on miles driven in petrol/diesel mode.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which (a) people and (b) organisations have been invited by his Department to review the proposals put forward by the Working Group on Islamophobia/Anti-Muslim Hatred.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As part of the Government’s careful consideration of the Working Group’s advice, officials have undertaken some limited and focused informal engagement with stakeholders. It is standard practice for Government to engage stakeholders on policy thinking.

These engagements and the Working Group's advice are kept private to allow government the necessary time and space to carefully consider the advice before confirming next steps.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which metrics were used to decide which of the previously-approved free schools went ahead.

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

Mainstream projects were evaluated against consistent criteria on the need for places, value for money, and whether they would provide a distinctive or innovative education offer or risk negatively impacting other local schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish her internal Departmental assessments of the potential impact of screentime on children in schools.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Mobile phones have no place in school. Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, published in 2024 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phones-in-schools. The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.

There are no current assessments the department intends to publish.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish her internal Departmental assessments of the potential impact of smartphones on children in schools.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Mobile phones have no place in school. Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, published in 2024 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phones-in-schools. The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.

There are no current assessments the department intends to publish.

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 (a) accepted and (b) rejected for (i) nursing and (ii) midwife positions with NHS providers in each year since 2020.

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

The Department does not hold data on the number of applicants, whether domestically trained or overseas trained, that were accepted or rejected for nursing and midwife positions with National Health Service providers. NHS trusts will undertake local processes to manage recruitment to nursing and midwifery vacancies.

NHS England publish monthly information on the annual numbers of nurses and midwives joining the NHS, including information on the self-reported nationality of these staff but this will not necessarily be the same as the place of training. Joiners’ data will include staff returning from breaks in service and is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics

On 11 August 2025, the Government announced the Graduate Guarantee for nurses and midwives. The Guarantee will ensure there are enough positions for every newly qualified nurse and midwife in England. The package of measures will unlock thousands of jobs and will ensure thousands of new posts are easier to access by removing barriers for NHS trusts, creating opportunities for graduates and ensuring a seamless transition from training to employment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applicants trained overseas were (a) accepted and (b) rejected for (i) nursing and (ii) midwife positions with NHS providers in each year since 2020.

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

The Department does not hold data on the number of applicants, whether domestically trained or overseas trained, that were accepted or rejected for nursing and midwife positions with National Health Service providers. NHS trusts will undertake local processes to manage recruitment to nursing and midwifery vacancies.

NHS England publish monthly information on the annual numbers of nurses and midwives joining the NHS, including information on the self-reported nationality of these staff but this will not necessarily be the same as the place of training. Joiners’ data will include staff returning from breaks in service and is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics

On 11 August 2025, the Government announced the Graduate Guarantee for nurses and midwives. The Guarantee will ensure there are enough positions for every newly qualified nurse and midwife in England. The package of measures will unlock thousands of jobs and will ensure thousands of new posts are easier to access by removing barriers for NHS trusts, creating opportunities for graduates and ensuring a seamless transition from training to employment.