Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many and what proportion of foreign nationals are employed by her Department within its UK operations.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not routinely capture or hold nationality data. Nationality requirements arise only where necessary to meet security clearance criteria and are set out at recruitment. Visa information is not held centrally and, in the absence of a specified timeframe, could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many visas has her Department sponsored for foreign nationals employed in the UK.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not routinely capture or hold nationality data. Nationality requirements arise only where necessary to meet security clearance criteria and are set out at recruitment. Visa information is not held centrally and, in the absence of a specified timeframe, could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress has been made on reforming the ECHR.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Last month, the Steering Committee for Human Rights of the Council of Europe adopted elements for a Council of Europe Political Declaration on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and irregular migration. Negotiations on the Political Declaration continue based on these elements. We are active in negotiations and will continue to work with international partners to ensure that the ECHR remains effective whilst addressing challenges like illegal migration and cross-border crime.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024, and (c) 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The requested data is not held centrally in a reportable format.
However, Defra is committed to thorough performance management and has in place robust processes to ensure that those who fall below the expected standards are supported to improve in a timely manner. Those who cannot improve their performance, despite this additional support, may be dismissed.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what was the total value of non-contractual severance payments across the department in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings on 26 March 2026, PQ UIN 121696.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is committed to thorough performance management and has in place robust processes to ensure that those who fall below the expected standards are supported to improve in a timely manner. Those who cannot improve their performance, despite this additional support, may be dismissed.
Following a Machinery of Government Change on 1st July 2023, the Department of International Trade (DIT) became the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), alongside parts of the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). As a result, DBT only holds information from 1st July 2023 onwards, with earlier data held by the former DIT. This response covers information held by DBT and UK Export Finance (UKEF), within these parameters.
DBT employees placed on a Performance Management Plan:
20 in 2023/24*, 27 in 2024/25, and 22 in 2025/26.
*2023 refers to from July 2023 onwards at the start of the performance year.
UKEF employees placed on a Performance Management Plan:
Between 1 and 5 in 2023/24,
Between 1 and 5 in 2024/25, and
Between 1 and 5 in 2025/26.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows recorded disciplinary cases which were upheld and included breaches of the Civil Service Code, for 2024 and 2025:
Year of outcome | Number of these cases where the allegation included “Breaches of the Civil Service Code” |
2024 | <5 |
2025 | 6 |
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to levy VAT on cosmetic surgical procedures.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services.
VAT is charged at the standard rate on all cosmetic procedures unless they are carried out by a health professional to protect, maintain or restore an individual’s health.
Cosmetic procedures to enhance a person’s appearance are subject to the standard rate of VAT. The VAT charged by the supplier can be reclaimed by the individual concerned if the services are for a business need, subject to the normal rules.
Therefore, most cosmetic procedures already attract standard rate VAT and no additional levy is needed.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department holds an internal estimate of the number of illegal migrant absconders in the UK.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is not currently available from published statistics.
Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.
Whilst local management information is held on absconder numbers and updated in line with operational need, this is used only for local management purposes. This data has not been verified or checked for accuracy to a standard that would make it suitable for publication, or to be provided to Members of Parliament.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will consider the potential merits of collating and publishing the 2025 asylum claim acceptance rate for cases decided by immigration caseworkers that are foreign nationals.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.