Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of Safe Surgeries held by GPs in each of the last five years.

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

The Department does not hold information regarding the number of Safe Surgeries.

GPs are independent business that hold contracts with the National Health Service to perform essential services to the public, and as independent businesses, it is for each practice to decide whether to register as a Safe Surgery.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of NHS staff have not met minimum English language proficiency standards in the last five years.

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

Where legally required, healthcare professionals must be registered with the appropriate United Kingdom healthcare regulator to be able to practise. Professionals who qualified outside of the UK must demonstrate that they have the necessary knowledge of English as part of the regulator’s assessment of their healthcare qualifications, knowledge, and skills. The process and accepted evidence for demonstrating English language proficiency varies according to regulator.

The healthcare regulators are independent of the Government, and it is for regulators to determine the required processes and thresholds in relation to English language competence for registrants. There may also be tests undertaken as part of the process of visa applications where these are applicable to staff. The Department does not hold information on the rate of success or failure of any of these tests.

Roles undertaken in the National Health Service by staff who are not required to be registered healthcare professionals may have language and communications skills defined and assessed locally as part of recruitment processes.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 83176 on Universal Credit, how many and what proportion of claims were made by people with the support of a paid interpreter; and what was the the total cost of (a) translation and (b) interpretation for supporting claimants in each of the last ten years.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department does not retain data on how many and what proportion of Universal Credit claims were made by people requiring the support of paid interpretation services. The breakdown of costs for translation and interpretation across all benefits including Universal Credit, from 2019/2020 to present is shown below. This data is not available prior to 2019.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) agency staff, (b) overseas recruits and (c) other NHS staff can communicate effectively in English.

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

Where legally required, healthcare professionals must be registered with the appropriate United Kingdom healthcare regulator to be able to practise. Professionals who qualified outside of the UK must demonstrate that they have the necessary knowledge of English. This process varies according to regulator, the healthcare role, and the circumstances of applicants

The healthcare regulators are independent of the Government, and it is for regulators to determine the required processes and thresholds in relation to English language competence for registrants.

General practitioners, dentists, and opticians delivering NHS primary care must also be on the relevant NHS performers list. Applicants’ ability to communicate effectively and safely with patients and colleagues is assessed as part of the performers list application process.

For the performers lists in England, it is NHS England policy that the required level of English language competence for admission to the list is the same as that required by the relevant healthcare regulator. If there are concerns about an applicant’s English language competence, they will be required to demonstrate competence by further assessment. This may be an oral exam with an NHS England assessor or with satisfactory completion of the International English Language Test System or the Occupational English Test.

In regard to care workers, since February 2022, the main route for care workers wishing to come to the UK has been through the Health and Care visa. To qualify for this visa, individuals must demonstrate that they meet the B1 standard of English language. On 14 October 2025, the Home Office laid rules changes to increase the English Language requirement to Level B2. These changes will come into effect from 8 January 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to introduce annual English language reassessments for NHS staff trained overseas.

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

Where legally required, healthcare professionals must be registered with the appropriate United Kingdom healthcare regulator to be able to practise. Professionals who qualified outside of the UK must demonstrate that they have the necessary knowledge of English. This process varies according to regulator, the healthcare role, and the circumstances of applicants

The healthcare regulators are independent of the Government, and it is for regulators to determine the required processes and thresholds in relation to English language competence for registrants.

General practitioners, dentists, and opticians delivering NHS primary care must also be on the relevant NHS performers list. Applicants’ ability to communicate effectively and safely with patients and colleagues is assessed as part of the performers list application process.

For the performers lists in England, it is NHS England policy that the required level of English language competence for admission to the list is the same as that required by the relevant healthcare regulator. If there are concerns about an applicant’s English language competence, they will be required to demonstrate competence by further assessment. This may be an oral exam with an NHS England assessor or with satisfactory completion of the International English Language Test System or the Occupational English Test.

In regard to care workers, since February 2022, the main route for care workers wishing to come to the UK has been through the Health and Care visa. To qualify for this visa, individuals must demonstrate that they meet the B1 standard of English language. On 14 October 2025, the Home Office laid rules changes to increase the English Language requirement to Level B2. These changes will come into effect from 8 January 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has provided any (a) grants, (b) contracts and (c) other funding to (i) Stand Up to Racism, (ii) Unite the Union,(ii) Migrants Organise, (iv) the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, (v) the Refugee Council and (vi) Care4Calais since 2020; and how much funding was provided to each for what purposes.

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

Home Office made grant payments to the Refugee Council totalling £ 3.2m for the purpose of Children’s Advisory Projects to support Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) through the asylum process., with a further £ 215,244 for Asylum Seeker Mental Health and Wellbeing Grant to provide assistance to vulnerable adult asylum seekers.

The figures represent budgeted values which may not have been spent in full.

Since 2020 the Home Office has provided contract and other funding payments to the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants totalling £47,015.

Further, the Home Office provided contract and other funding to the Refugee Council totalling £8,026,673 for the same time period.

Information on purpose has been withheld and related contracts as it would only be available at disproportionate cost.

Outside of Home Office funding, for the period FY 21/22 to FY 24/25 inclusive Home Office facilitated £5.37m of EU financed AMIF Integration Funding to the Refugee Council.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department has spent on social media advertising by (a) influencer and (b) organisation in each of the last five financial years.

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

Sensitivities exist around aspects of this spend which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing detention capacity to a level that would facilitate the deportation of between 100,000 and 150,000 people per year.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office (specifically Immigration Enforcement), is currently expanding detention capacity through an active programme that will deliver an additional 1,000 beds over the coming years at Campsfield (Oxfordshire) and Haslar (Hampshire). This expansion will significantly increase the number of enforced returns once operational.

Decisions on the required estate size will be based on several factors, including:

• The number of individuals eligible for removal;
• Opportunities to increase throughput within the current system through casework transformation;
• The need to deliver additional capacity in the most cost-effective way.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of diverting spending on foreign aid towards establishing a veterans support network including (a) guaranteed fast-track treatment and mental health support, (b) ring fenced housing priority funds for veterans in every local authority and (c) an employment fund to retrain and reintegrate people leaving the armed forces.

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

This Government is completely dedicated to recognising our veterans and is keenly aware of the debt that we as a country owe to them for their service and sacrifice. Just this week we launched a new cross government Veterans' Strategy to fundamentally reset how we, as a nation think about these remarkable men and women. At its heart is VALOUR, a new national programme designed to make it easier for veterans across the UK to access the care and support they deserve, with £27 million in VALOUR development funding programme to deliver support hubs across the country for veterans who need them.

In England, NHS England provides Op COURAGE, providing a broad range of specialist mental health wellbeing care and support for service leavers, reservists, and veterans. Op RESTORE provides specialist care and support to veterans who have physical health problems as a result of their time in the Armed Forces. Separate provision is available for veterans living in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

For veterans in need of housing support, existing regulations state they must be given 'additional priority' status when there is an urgent housing need. We also changed the law to exempt all veterans of the Regular Armed Forces from local connection tests when applying for social housing in England. We recently committed an additional £12 million to vital homelessness services through the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme, and awarded £4.5 million to organisations supporting hundreds of veterans across the UK, to ensure there is a sustainable supply of veteran accommodation in the long term. Moreover, we have extended Op FORTITUDE, the single referral pathway for veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness, which has already housed over 1,000 veterans.

For employment support, the Ministry of Defence-hosted Career Transition Partnership provides support for those within two years before and after leaving service. Op ASCEND is the employment pathway for veterans, available from two years post-service. As of 13 June 2025, Op ASCEND has already successfully engaged over 420 employers and supported over 4600 veterans and family members.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to review data-sharing systems between the Prison Service and immigration enforcement.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

We keep all data sharing systems and agreements between the Home Office and MoJ under review. We will be mindful of any recommendations or proposals for improvement that might flow from Dame Lynne Owens' review into the incident at Chelmsford and any wider learning on releases in error.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2025 to Question 86454 on Cabinet Office: Social Media, if he will publish any information that would not prejudice commercial interests.

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

Influencers are an effective channel to reach audiences. Their work with the Cabinet Office is primarily supported by agencies OmniGov and Pablo Unlimited via the Campaign Solutions 2 framework, link below:

https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/RM6125

Channels are chosen based on audience engagement and alignment with government objectives. The Cabinet Office monitors communication spending to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, and best value for the taxpayer.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department tracks the locations of foreign national offenders following release.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Foreign national offenders (FNOs), if not detained under immigration powers, are released on licence at the conclusion of the custodial element of their sentence, under the supervision of the Probation Service.

They are subject to licence conditions to protect the public, reduce re-offending, and enable them to be supervised effectively in the community. These conditions can be varied during the licence period, if necessary, to reflect any change in level of risk.

The licence conditions include a requirement for FNOs to inform the Probation Service of their address and obtain prior approval for any change. The Probation Service liaises with the police during the address approval process, to ensure the address is suitable, and to safeguard the public. Any unauthorised change of address would constitute a breach of licence. Enforcement action may include recall to custody.

Where standard conditions are insufficient to manage risk, additional licence conditions may be imposed, such as restrictions on movement, contact, or residence, and the use of GPS tagging. GPS tagging is applied only where it is assessed as necessary and proportionate to the individual’s level of risk.

The Probation Service’s supervision of FNOs runs in parallel with any action on deportation being undertaken by the Home Office.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many officials in his Department have faced disciplinary action following the mistaken release of asylum seekers convicted of criminal offences in each of the last five years.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of foreign national offenders released in error were awaiting deportation at the time of release in each of the last five years.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

We regularly publish information on releases in error but this does not show how many of these releases relate to foreign nationals or the proportion of such offenders who were awaiting deportation at the time of release.

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected. We are also rightly deporting foreign national offenders faster than ever.

Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. Between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025, over 5,000 FNOs were removed. This is an increase of 14% compared to the 4,532 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many foreign nationals have been released from prison in error in each of the last five years.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

We regularly publish information on releases in error but this does not show how many of these releases relate to foreign nationals or the proportion of such offenders who were awaiting deportation at the time of release.

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected. We are also rightly deporting foreign national offenders faster than ever.

Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. Between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025, over 5,000 FNOs were removed. This is an increase of 14% compared to the 4,532 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what communications protocols exist between his Department and the Home Office to prevent the erroneous release of asylum-seeker prisoners.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.

We are focused on fixing release and discharge processes and have already brought in the strongest ever release checks with more direct senior accountability. Going further, we have established a new Justice Performance Board to provide a comprehensive view of prison and criminal court performance including releases in error. Dame Lynne Owens is conducting an independent review to identify what further action we can take.

A team of data scientists are reviewing releases in error to gain a clear picture of what is going wrong and as part of crucial improvements to court processes, an Urgent Warrant Query Unit is being set up, staffed by court experts, so prisons can get urgent answers on what sentences have been imposed. A digital rapid response unit has already been in HMP Wandsworth to use cutting-edge technology in place of manual systems and reduce the potential for human error. These are our initial steps and we will continue to take action to stop these errors and continue the existing close co-operation that exists between the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and the police.

On the issue of public notification when a foreign national offender is released from custody, decisions about public statements rest with the police.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the the mistaken release of asylum seekers convicted of criminal offences on public safety.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.

We are focused on fixing release and discharge processes and have already brought in the strongest ever release checks with more direct senior accountability. Going further, we have established a new Justice Performance Board to provide a comprehensive view of prison and criminal court performance including releases in error. Dame Lynne Owens is conducting an independent review to identify what further action we can take.

A team of data scientists are reviewing releases in error to gain a clear picture of what is going wrong and as part of crucial improvements to court processes, an Urgent Warrant Query Unit is being set up, staffed by court experts, so prisons can get urgent answers on what sentences have been imposed. A digital rapid response unit has already been in HMP Wandsworth to use cutting-edge technology in place of manual systems and reduce the potential for human error. These are our initial steps and we will continue to take action to stop these errors and continue the existing close co-operation that exists between the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and the police.

On the issue of public notification when a foreign national offender is released from custody, decisions about public statements rest with the police.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what processes are in place to prevent the accidental release of foreign national offenders from prisons.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.

We are focused on fixing release and discharge processes and have already brought in the strongest ever release checks with more direct senior accountability. Going further, we have established a new Justice Performance Board to provide a comprehensive view of prison and criminal court performance including releases in error. Dame Lynne Owens is conducting an independent review to identify what further action we can take.

A team of data scientists are reviewing releases in error to gain a clear picture of what is going wrong and as part of crucial improvements to court processes, an Urgent Warrant Query Unit is being set up, staffed by court experts, so prisons can get urgent answers on what sentences have been imposed. A digital rapid response unit has already been in HMP Wandsworth to use cutting-edge technology in place of manual systems and reduce the potential for human error. These are our initial steps and we will continue to take action to stop these errors and continue the existing close co-operation that exists between the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and the police.

On the issue of public notification when a foreign national offender is released from custody, decisions about public statements rest with the police.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the public is notified when a foreign national offender is mistakenly released from custody.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.

We are focused on fixing release and discharge processes and have already brought in the strongest ever release checks with more direct senior accountability. Going further, we have established a new Justice Performance Board to provide a comprehensive view of prison and criminal court performance including releases in error. Dame Lynne Owens is conducting an independent review to identify what further action we can take.

A team of data scientists are reviewing releases in error to gain a clear picture of what is going wrong and as part of crucial improvements to court processes, an Urgent Warrant Query Unit is being set up, staffed by court experts, so prisons can get urgent answers on what sentences have been imposed. A digital rapid response unit has already been in HMP Wandsworth to use cutting-edge technology in place of manual systems and reduce the potential for human error. These are our initial steps and we will continue to take action to stop these errors and continue the existing close co-operation that exists between the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and the police.

On the issue of public notification when a foreign national offender is released from custody, decisions about public statements rest with the police.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much her Department has spent on social media advertising by (a) influencer and (b) organisation in each of the last five financial years.

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

Sensitivities exist around aspects of this spend which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many yellow card reports there have been on covid-19 vaccines.

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

The number of Yellow Card reports received by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for COVID-19 vaccines can be found in the Interactive Drug Analysis Profiles on the Yellow Card website, which is available at the following link:

https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/idaps

The Interactive Drug Analysis Profiles contain complete listings of suspected adverse reactions for all medicines and vaccines reported through the scheme. On this platform, individuals can search for the specified vaccine of interest in order to find data displayed in graphs and tables, which include information such as patient age, sex and ethnicity. The number of reports for each vaccine of interest is provided on the “Overview” tab of the profile. As the data does not necessarily refer to proven side effects, individuals should refer to the product information for details on the possible side effects, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc

When considering spontaneous data for medicinal products, it is important to be aware that a reported reaction has not necessarily been caused by the vaccine, only that the reporter had a suspicion it may have been. Each year, millions of doses of routine vaccinations are given in the United Kingdom alone, and when any vaccine is administered to large numbers of people, some recipients will inevitably experience illness following vaccination. The fact that symptoms occur after the use of a vaccine or medicine, and are reported via the Yellow Card scheme, does not in itself mean that they are proven to have been caused by it. Underlying or concurrent illnesses may be responsible, and such events can also be coincidental.

It is also important to note that the number of reports received via the Yellow Card scheme does not directly equate to the number of people who suffer adverse reactions, and therefore the reports cannot be used to determine the incidence of a reaction. Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reporting rates are influenced by the seriousness of the ADRs, their ease of recognition, and the extent of the use of a particular vaccine. They may also be stimulated by awareness and publicity about a vaccine. Reporting tends to be highest for newly introduced medicines during the first one to two years on the market, and then falls over time.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much NHS funding has been spent on the treatment of children brought from Gaza under the medical evacuation scheme since its launch; and what proportion of this expenditure has been reimbursed by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

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

The Government is committed to funding the costs associated with evacuating Gazan children for treatment in the United Kingdom. Departments will share the costs for the process by funding their specific areas of responsibility from their existing budgets.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many accompanying adults have entered the UK under the Gaza injured children scheme; and what the estimated total cost per individual has been for (a) transport, (b) accommodation and (c) subsistence.

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

The Government is committed to funding the costs associated with evacuating Gazan children for treatment in the United Kingdom. Departments will share the costs for the process by funding their specific areas of responsibility from their existing budgets.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse is of the scheme to evacuate and treat injured children from Gaza in the United Kingdom.

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

The Government is committed to funding the costs associated with evacuating Gazan children for treatment in the United Kingdom. Departments will share the costs for the process by funding their specific areas of responsibility from their existing budgets.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the total number of licence fee enforcement letters sent by the BBC in the last financial year.

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

The TV Licensing website states that in 2024/25, approximately 72 million items of mail for TV Licensing were sent. This information is published at https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/about/foi-administering-the-licence-fee-AB20

The BBC is responsible for the collection and enforcement of the licence fee. The Government is therefore not involved in TV Licensing operations and we do not hold exact information on the number of letters it sends to households, or how many of these would relate to enforcement.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of how much money was sent abroad in remittance payments in 2024 by destination country.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Treasury does not collect or report data on the flow of remittances out of the UK and has not under previous governments.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an estimate of the proportion of food served in his Department that is British.

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

The Government, in line with manifesto commitments, is considering all lawful means of achieving its ambition that half of all food purchased across the public sector should be locally produced or certified to higher environmental standards. In order to understand where we are starting from, we are currently assessing what food the public sector buys and where it comes from. In due course, this will tell us the proportion of food served by public sector organisations, including Defra, that is British.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 83169 Universal Credit: Telephone Services, how many and what proportion of calls to the Universal Credit helpline dropped in each of the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP does not maintain a telephony reporting measure for “dropped calls”

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the total number and proportion of road collisions involving uninsured drivers that were caused by non-UK citizens in each of the last five years.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

My Department does not hold the number and proportion of collisions involving uninsured drivers that were caused by non-UK citizens. Nor do we have information on the number of uninsured drivers that are non-UK citizens.

The Road Traffic Act 1988 requires all drivers to have third party insurance cover. The Government takes uninsured driving seriously. Police forces work closely with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) to tackle this. This collaborates through Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE), a scheme where MIB and DVLA collaborate to identify uninsured drivers, police enforcement on the road and through Operation Tutelage.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of uninsured drivers that are non-UK citizens.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

My Department does not hold the number and proportion of collisions involving uninsured drivers that were caused by non-UK citizens. Nor do we have information on the number of uninsured drivers that are non-UK citizens.

The Road Traffic Act 1988 requires all drivers to have third party insurance cover. The Government takes uninsured driving seriously. Police forces work closely with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) to tackle this. This collaborates through Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE), a scheme where MIB and DVLA collaborate to identify uninsured drivers, police enforcement on the road and through Operation Tutelage.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will implement a review of HMRC helplines to (i) lower hold times and (ii) improve customer service.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Improving day-to-day performance is a key priority for HMRC.

In 2024-25, HMRC handled 71.5% of adviser attempts across their helplines and had an average call answer time of 18 minutes 38 seconds. So far this year (April –September 2025), they have handled 83.8% of adviser attempts and call wait times have decreased to 13 minutes 30 seconds.

HMRC are taking steps to make sure more of their services are digital, so customers can self-serve online. HMRC online services and the HMRC app are convenient to access and receive high customer satisfaction ratings. As more people use HMRC online services, advisers are freed up to support those with more complex queries and those who are digitally excluded.

The below table provides details of abandoned calls on the Self Assessment helpline over the past five years. Abandoned calls refers to calls that reach the queue for the helpline and the customer hangs up before their call is answered. Customers may hang up before their call is answered for a number of reasons – for example, they may have had their query answered by HMRC’s recorded messages, they may have found the information they require online or they may have decided to call back another time. So far in 2025-26, there have been 192,659 abandoned calls on the SA helpline (8.8% of overall calls)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to Question 86041 on Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services, how many and what proportion of calls to the HMRC self-assessment line dropped in each of the last five years.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Improving day-to-day performance is a key priority for HMRC.

In 2024-25, HMRC handled 71.5% of adviser attempts across their helplines and had an average call answer time of 18 minutes 38 seconds. So far this year (April –September 2025), they have handled 83.8% of adviser attempts and call wait times have decreased to 13 minutes 30 seconds.

HMRC are taking steps to make sure more of their services are digital, so customers can self-serve online. HMRC online services and the HMRC app are convenient to access and receive high customer satisfaction ratings. As more people use HMRC online services, advisers are freed up to support those with more complex queries and those who are digitally excluded.

The below table provides details of abandoned calls on the Self Assessment helpline over the past five years. Abandoned calls refers to calls that reach the queue for the helpline and the customer hangs up before their call is answered. Customers may hang up before their call is answered for a number of reasons – for example, they may have had their query answered by HMRC’s recorded messages, they may have found the information they require online or they may have decided to call back another time. So far in 2025-26, there have been 192,659 abandoned calls on the SA helpline (8.8% of overall calls)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2025 to Question 86469 Ministry of Justice: Social Media, if he will publish a breakdown of all non-commercially sensitive information on (a) influencers paid and (b) amount paid to each influencer in the last five financial years.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Given the nature of working with influencers, there are sensitivities surrounding all aspects of this expenditure. Sharing any information could compromise commercial interests, as the Department has engaged with only 10 influencers where it has enhanced our communications. All influencer activity is subject to strict Cabinet Office spending controls to ensure that we achieve an appropriate balance between effectiveness and value for money for taxpayers.

The Ministry of Justice uses social media influencers to help deliver its communications and operational priorities. This includes activity to support recruitment campaigns for prison officers, probation officers and magistrates, ensuring that frontline services are effectively staffed to maintain public safety and deliver swift access to justice. Our digital comms team are also increasingly collaborating with content creators/influencers to help reach new audiences with justice content on a no-cost basis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many slaughterhouses were (a) suspended and (b) permanently closed due to breaches of animal welfare regulations in each calendar year from 2015 to 2025; how many (i) improvement notices, (ii) formal warnings, (iii) prosecutions and (iv) other enforcement actions were issued to slaughterhouses for animal welfare breaches in each of those years; and how many site inspections were carried out by the Food Standards Agency in each year over the same period.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In 2015, two slaughterhouses had approval withdrawn. In 2016, one slaughterhouse had approval withdrawn. In 2017, one slaughterhouse had approval withdrawn and two had approval suspended.

The reasons for the withdrawals and suspensions between 2015 and 2017 are no longer retained. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) retains approval documents of establishments for up to six years beyond their closure.

In 2020, one slaughterhouse had approval suspended for welfare concerns. In 2025, two slaughterhouses had approval withdrawn for non-compliances, which included welfare concerns.

The following table shows the number of formal warnings issued to business operators and plant operatives following investigation by the FSA into alleged animal welfare offences at approved slaughterhouses, from 2015 to 2024:

In addition, the following table shows the number of prosecution cases and the number of business operators and plant operatives convicted following investigations undertaken by the FSA into alleged animal welfare offences at approved slaughterhouses, from 2015 to 2024:

Improvement notices and other enforcement action over the 10 year period is included in open data published quarterly by the FSA, and available at the following link:

https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/92ee0c84-d680-400c-a560-94a3a1a100a6/animal-welfare-enforcement-non-compliance

The FSA has a presence at every site during processing hours. To complement the inspections carried out by official veterinarians and veterinary auditors, the Welfare Assurance Team carries out welfare-themed inspections across all operating plants in England and Wales. Similar to the veterinary auditors, the frequency of these inspections depends upon the previous inspection outcome. It is not possible to confirm how many site inspections were undertaken specifically on animal welfare grounds over this period.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the UK Government has contributed funding towards a (a) wall and (b) barrier near (i) Dunkirk and (ii) Calais.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office cannot comment on the specifics of French activity, but the Sandhurst agreement and related finances are referred to in this press release from the beginning of the year - New UK-French action to go after smuggler gangs - GOV.UK

We continue close cooperation with France to strengthen border security and disrupt criminal gangs.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of litigation on the implementation of the one-in, one-out migrant returns agreement with France; and whether policy changes have been made in response.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Litigation related to the UK-France Agreement on the Prevention of Dangerous Journeys was anticipated and our policies, processes and operational practices were developed accordingly and designed to be lawful.

Litigation is a standard element of all returns processes from the UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which French (a) ministries, (b) local authorities and (c) private contractors have received UK funding for (i) border security and (ii) migration control infrastructure since 2023.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office cannot comment on the specifics of French activity, but the Sandhurst agreement and related finances are referred to in this press release from the beginning of the year - New UK-French action to go after smuggler gangs - GOV.UK

We continue close cooperation with France to strengthen border security and disrupt criminal gangs.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, through which (a) programmes and (b) funds the UK has supported border-infrastructure projects in France since 2023; and how that expenditure is monitored.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office cannot comment on the specifics of French activity, but the Sandhurst agreement and related finances are referred to in this press release from the beginning of the year - New UK-French action to go after smuggler gangs - GOV.UK

We continue close cooperation with France to strengthen border security and disrupt criminal gangs.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2025 to Question 87145 on Driving Licenses, if she will provide this information by nationality.

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

The data requested is provided in the attached table which shows the number of GB licences exchanged for a licence issued in each of the countries listed. Please note that this will not necessarily be the nationality of the licence holder. The table also includes licences issued in exchange for a licence issued in Northern Ireland, the Crown Dependencies, the British Virgin Islands, the Falkland Islands, the Faroe Islands and Gibraltar.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many residential burglaries were recorded in England and Wales in each year since 2015; how many of those resulted in an (a) charge or (b) summons.

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

The Home Office collects and publishes official statistics on the offences and investigative outcomes recorded by the police in England and Wales on a quarterly basis, including burglary, which can be accessed here:

Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UK

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) charge and (b) clear-up rate for residential burglaries was by police force area in the most recent year for which data is available.

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

The Home Office collects and publishes official statistics on the offences and investigative outcomes recorded by the police in England and Wales on a quarterly basis, including burglary, which can be accessed here:

Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UK

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) charge, (b) summons and (c) clear-up rate was for residential burglaries in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years.

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

The Home Office collects and publishes official statistics on the offences and investigative outcomes recorded by the police in England and Wales on a quarterly basis, including burglary, which can be accessed here:

Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UK

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) offences, (b) cautions and (c) prosecutions have been recorded for civilian possession of (i) pepper spray, (ii) PAVA and (iii) other incapacitant substances under the Firearms Act 1968 in each year since 2015.

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

The Home Office does not hold any data on the number or proportion of police officers in England and Wales that were authorised to carry Conducted Energy Devices or PAVA. However, to ensure transparency and accountability around police use of force, Home Office publishes annual statistics on police use of force.

The published data includes official statistics in development on the number of use of force reports that recorded that a Conducted Energy Device (Taser) was readily available for use during the incident. It is important to note that this data will only account for where a Taser was carried by an officer during a use of force incident and will not account for all instances in which police were deployed with Taser. The latest available data can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-use-of-force-statistics

This publication also includes information on the number of times a Taser was recorded as a tactic (both discharge and non-discharge uses). Data are available by calendar year for 2015 and 2016 and by financial year from the year ending 31 March 2018. The latest available data can be accessed at the link above.

Decisions around the number of Taser trained officers within a police force are operational decisions for Chief Officers to determine in line with their assessment of threat and risk.

The Home Office collects information on the number of offences and their investigative outcomes recorded under a broad category of ‘possessing or distributing prohibited weapons designed for discharge of noxious substances etc.’. However, it is not possible to separate identify possession offences and the type of substance related to these offences.

Table: the number of offences, charge/summons and cautions for the offence ‘Possessing Or Distributing Prohibited Weapons Designed For Discharge Of Noxious Liquid’, 2015/16 to the year ending June 2025, England and Wales (excluding Humberside police).

Note – figures are for England and Wales, excluding Humberside police who were unable to provide figures to the Home Office Data Hub for this period.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers (a) carried and (b) deployed a taser in each year since 2015; and if she will publish the latest aggregated dataset.

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

The Home Office does not hold any data on the number or proportion of police officers in England and Wales that were authorised to carry Conducted Energy Devices or PAVA. However, to ensure transparency and accountability around police use of force, Home Office publishes annual statistics on police use of force.

The published data includes official statistics in development on the number of use of force reports that recorded that a Conducted Energy Device (Taser) was readily available for use during the incident. It is important to note that this data will only account for where a Taser was carried by an officer during a use of force incident and will not account for all instances in which police were deployed with Taser. The latest available data can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-use-of-force-statistics

This publication also includes information on the number of times a Taser was recorded as a tactic (both discharge and non-discharge uses). Data are available by calendar year for 2015 and 2016 and by financial year from the year ending 31 March 2018. The latest available data can be accessed at the link above.

Decisions around the number of Taser trained officers within a police force are operational decisions for Chief Officers to determine in line with their assessment of threat and risk.

The Home Office collects information on the number of offences and their investigative outcomes recorded under a broad category of ‘possessing or distributing prohibited weapons designed for discharge of noxious substances etc.’. However, it is not possible to separate identify possession offences and the type of substance related to these offences.

Table: the number of offences, charge/summons and cautions for the offence ‘Possessing Or Distributing Prohibited Weapons Designed For Discharge Of Noxious Liquid’, 2015/16 to the year ending June 2025, England and Wales (excluding Humberside police).

Note – figures are for England and Wales, excluding Humberside police who were unable to provide figures to the Home Office Data Hub for this period.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of police officers in England and Wales were authorised to carry Conducted Energy Devices in each year since 2015.

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

The Home Office does not hold any data on the number or proportion of police officers in England and Wales that were authorised to carry Conducted Energy Devices or PAVA. However, to ensure transparency and accountability around police use of force, Home Office publishes annual statistics on police use of force.

The published data includes official statistics in development on the number of use of force reports that recorded that a Conducted Energy Device (Taser) was readily available for use during the incident. It is important to note that this data will only account for where a Taser was carried by an officer during a use of force incident and will not account for all instances in which police were deployed with Taser. The latest available data can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-use-of-force-statistics

This publication also includes information on the number of times a Taser was recorded as a tactic (both discharge and non-discharge uses). Data are available by calendar year for 2015 and 2016 and by financial year from the year ending 31 March 2018. The latest available data can be accessed at the link above.

Decisions around the number of Taser trained officers within a police force are operational decisions for Chief Officers to determine in line with their assessment of threat and risk.

The Home Office collects information on the number of offences and their investigative outcomes recorded under a broad category of ‘possessing or distributing prohibited weapons designed for discharge of noxious substances etc.’. However, it is not possible to separate identify possession offences and the type of substance related to these offences.

Table: the number of offences, charge/summons and cautions for the offence ‘Possessing Or Distributing Prohibited Weapons Designed For Discharge Of Noxious Liquid’, 2015/16 to the year ending June 2025, England and Wales (excluding Humberside police).

Note – figures are for England and Wales, excluding Humberside police who were unable to provide figures to the Home Office Data Hub for this period.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will regularly publish a single national table showing annual totals for (a) officers authorised to carry tasers, (b) officers authorised to carry PAVA/CS, (c) officers carrying or deploying Tasers and (d) civilian prosecutions for possession of incapacitant sprays.

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

The Home Office does not hold any data on the number or proportion of police officers in England and Wales that were authorised to carry Conducted Energy Devices or PAVA. However, to ensure transparency and accountability around police use of force, Home Office publishes annual statistics on police use of force.

The published data includes official statistics in development on the number of use of force reports that recorded that a Conducted Energy Device (Taser) was readily available for use during the incident. It is important to note that this data will only account for where a Taser was carried by an officer during a use of force incident and will not account for all instances in which police were deployed with Taser. The latest available data can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-use-of-force-statistics

This publication also includes information on the number of times a Taser was recorded as a tactic (both discharge and non-discharge uses). Data are available by calendar year for 2015 and 2016 and by financial year from the year ending 31 March 2018. The latest available data can be accessed at the link above.

Decisions around the number of Taser trained officers within a police force are operational decisions for Chief Officers to determine in line with their assessment of threat and risk.

The Home Office collects information on the number of offences and their investigative outcomes recorded under a broad category of ‘possessing or distributing prohibited weapons designed for discharge of noxious substances etc.’. However, it is not possible to separate identify possession offences and the type of substance related to these offences.

Table: the number of offences, charge/summons and cautions for the offence ‘Possessing Or Distributing Prohibited Weapons Designed For Discharge Of Noxious Liquid’, 2015/16 to the year ending June 2025, England and Wales (excluding Humberside police).

Note – figures are for England and Wales, excluding Humberside police who were unable to provide figures to the Home Office Data Hub for this period.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many complaints the NHS has received on language issues in each of the last five years.

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

Data on written complaints in the National Health Service is published annually and is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/data-on-written-complaints-in-the-nhs

The data collection is a count of written complaints made by, or on behalf of, patients. It does not include a category specifically on complaints involving language issues.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many e-RS communications were sent to category F patients in each of the last five years.

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

The information requested is not available. The term "Category F patient" is not a classification used within the National Health Service e-Referral Service (e-RS) for patient status or priority.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which local authorities have (a) received and (b) are housing (i) individuals and (ii) families evacuated from Gaza.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement HCWS899 made to the House on 1 September 2025 by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. As of 28 October 2025, four groups of patients have now arrived.

The safety, privacy, and wellbeing of these severely ill and vulnerable patients and their families remains our absolute priority. We will not be providing further operational details, including their whereabouts, at this stage.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a dedicated whistleblowing line for NHS staff and patients to report issues with language barriers in the National Health Service.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the (a) cost for translation of and (b) percentage of communications in each language in e-RS communication letters was so far this year.

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

NHS England only incurs costs for changes to templates or when new languages are added. Therefore, the primary cost is associated with template updates, not per-letter translation. No changes have been made to templates in 2025, nor have additional languages been added, so no costs for translation have been incurred.

There are no additional variable costs for providing a translated letter, as an English language version of the letter would be sent instead. The following table shows the total number of e-RS letters as well as the proportion of these letters that were translated, sorted by the language they were translated to, for 2024/25 and for 2025/26 to date:

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much from the public purse has been spent by the Legal Aid Agency on (a) legal representation and (b) pre-action work challenging removals under the one-in, one-out migrant returns policy since 1 July 2025.

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

Information relating to legal aid expenditure challenging removals under the one-in one-out pilot is not centrally held. Although legal aid expenditure broken down by category is published on a quarterly basis as part of the Legal Aid Agency’s Official Statistics.

In order to obtain information relating to the number of legal aid certificates granted for cases which make specific reference to either the one-in one-out migrant returns policy or removals to France, it would be necessary to manually review every single application for legal representation in connection with judicial review proceedings in the immigration context. That could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many legal aid certificates have been granted for cases referencing (a) the one-in, one-out migrant returns policy and (b) removals to France since July 2025.

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

Information relating to legal aid expenditure challenging removals under the one-in one-out pilot is not centrally held. Although legal aid expenditure broken down by category is published on a quarterly basis as part of the Legal Aid Agency’s Official Statistics.

In order to obtain information relating to the number of legal aid certificates granted for cases which make specific reference to either the one-in one-out migrant returns policy or removals to France, it would be necessary to manually review every single application for legal representation in connection with judicial review proceedings in the immigration context. That could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has visibility over donations or grants from U.S. government agencies or foundations to (a) BBC Media Action and (b) the BBC World Service Trust since 2018.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The information requested is not held by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to provide a breakdown of (a) total pay-outs (b) total value of claims to category A patients by (i) UK citizens (ii) asylum seekers for the financial year 24/25.

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

NHS Resolution manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England. This data is not held by NHS Resolution.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to provide the total (a) number and (b) value of clinical negligence claims paid out to category f patients in financial year 24/25.

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

NHS Resolution manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England. This data is not held by NHS Resolution.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of physicians responsible for medical malpractice which resulted in a pay-out in the 2024-25 financial year, broken down by nationality.

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

This data is not held by NHS Resolution.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total (a) number of claims and (b) value of clinical negligence claims paid out in financial year 24/25 were attributed to language barrier issues.

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

This data is not held by NHS Resolution.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of NHS staff were non-patient facing in each of the last ten years.

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

The following table shows the number and percentage of the full time equivalent (FTE) workforce employed by National Health Service trusts and other core NHS organisations in England that are in NHS infrastructure support roles, which represents a proxy for non-patient facing roles, as of each July from 2015 to 2025:

Source: the data can be found in the file titled “Preliminary - NHS HCHS Workforce Statistics, Trusts and core organisations - data tables” from worksheet one of the NHS Hospital and Community Health Service Monthly Workforce Statistics, published by NHS England, and available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics

Notes:

1. the NHS infrastructure support staffing group includes staff defined as managers, senior managers, non-patient facing clerical/administrative staff, and maintenance/works staff;
2. FTE refers to the proportion of full time contracted hours that the post holder is contracted to work. One would indicate they work a full set of hours, while 0.5 would indicate that they worked half time; and
3. these data relate to the Hospital and Community Health Service workforce directly employed in NHS trusts and other core organisations, for instance integrated care boards for the latest data point, who are paid.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether UK (a) climate and (b) carbon capture, usage and storage initiatives are coordinated with U.S. federal or state programmes.

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

The United States is Britain’s closest ally. Our two countries have a long, deep history of close cooperation. This is demonstrated by the Technology Prosperity Deal signed by the Prime Minister and the President during his recent State Visit, which included ambitious civil nuclear collaboration.

The United States are also a key UK partner in Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage, as the world leader in deployment and current capacity, on which we each engage multilaterally within the Carbon Management Challenge and the Clean Energy Ministerial CCUS Initiative.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many overseas visitor managers are employed by the NHS.

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

The Department does not hold the data requested. NHS England publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics for England, which are available at the following link:

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

The data is drawn from the Electronic Staff Record, the human resources system for the National Health Service. The level of detail available in the data is not enough to be able to identify staff who are locally in roles described as ‘Overseas Visitor Managers’ or similar.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides to ensure proportionality when police use force in (a) cases where lawful occupiers attempt to defend property and (b) other property-related incidents.

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

The government is clear police use of force must be reasonable, proportionate and necessary in all circumstances.

The College of Policing is the body responsible for setting out the guidance and training for the police. Guidance on the use of force is set out in Authorised Professional Practice which can be found here APP (authorised professional practice) | College of Policing. Given the operational nature of use of force, the College of Policing is best placed to set these standards.

Before officers can be authorised to use force, they must pass comprehensive training in Public and Personal Safety each year. This training reinforces the importance and legitimacy of use of force at every level.

The government publishes annual statistics on police use of force. The latest publication can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-use-of-force-statistics. These statistics have been developed in coordination with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other stakeholders to ensure there is transparency and accountability around the police use of force,

The Home Office does not hold any data on the number of police use of force reports that involved individuals recorded as property owners, occupiers or complainants.

.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the reason for the decline in the charge rate for residential burglaries in England and Wales since 2015; and what steps she is taking to improve detection and prosecution of residential burglary.

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

This Government recognises the particularly invasive nature of domestic burglary, and the profound impact these crimes can have on individuals and the wider community.

Police recorded burglary has decreased by 10% in the year to June 2025 compared with the previous year and was 73% lower than year ending March 2003 when current recording practices began. Residential burglary was down 11%, within this category home burglaries and burglaries of unconnected buildings are both down 11% compared with previous year. Non-residential burglaries also fell by 9% compared with the previous year.

Whilst the fall in the number of these crimes is welcome, too many people still experience the trauma of a domestic burglary every year, and the Government is determined that everything possible is being done to prevent these crimes from happening.

As part of reforms being delivered through our Safer Streets Mission, we are determined to crack down on burglary and other crimes that make people feel unsafe in our communities. This includes delivering on our commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing. Through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, there will be thousands of additional police officers, police community support officers and special constables in neighbourhood policing roles, with each neighbourhood having a named, contactable officer dealing with local issue.

In June 2023, the National Police Chiefs’ Council announced that police forces across England and Wales had been fulfilling the commitment to attend home burglaries since March 2023. To support this, the Home Office and NPCC chair the Residential Burglary Taskforce, bringing together government, police, academics, industry leads, civil society groups and others to examine what more can be done to prevent domestic burglary, and to drive progress.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to police on the use of force during property-related incidents in (a) general and (b) cases where lawful occupiers attempt to defend property.

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

The Home Office does not hold any data on the number or proportion of police officers in England and Wales that were authorised to carry Conducted Energy Devices or PAVA. However, to ensure transparency and accountability around police use of force, Home Office publishes annual statistics on police use of force.

The published data includes official statistics in development on the number of use of force reports that recorded that a Conducted Energy Device (Taser) was readily available for use during the incident. It is important to note that this data will only account for where a Taser was carried by an officer during a use of force incident and will not account for all instances in which police were deployed with Taser. The latest available data can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-use-of-force-statistics

This publication also includes information on the number of times a Taser was recorded as a tactic (both discharge and non-discharge uses). Data are available by calendar year for 2015 and 2016 and by financial year from the year ending 31 March 2018. The latest available data can be accessed at the link above.

Decisions around the number of Taser trained officers within a police force are operational decisions for Chief Officers to determine in line with their assessment of threat and risk.

The Home Office collects information on the number of offences and their investigative outcomes recorded under a broad category of ‘possessing or distributing prohibited weapons designed for discharge of noxious substances etc.’. However, it is not possible to separate identify possession offences and the type of substance related to these offences.

Table: the number of offences, charge/summons and cautions for the offence ‘Possessing Or Distributing Prohibited Weapons Designed For Discharge Of Noxious Liquid’, 2015/16 to the year ending June 2025, England and Wales (excluding Humberside police).

Note – figures are for England and Wales, excluding Humberside police who were unable to provide figures to the Home Office Data Hub for this period.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to expand its annual use-of-force data collection to identify the relationship between the person subjected to force and the property or premises involved in the incident.

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

The government is clear police use of force must be reasonable, proportionate and necessary in all circumstances.

The College of Policing is the body responsible for setting out the guidance and training for the police. Guidance on the use of force is set out in Authorised Professional Practice which can be found here APP (authorised professional practice) | College of Policing. Given the operational nature of use of force, the College of Policing is best placed to set these standards.

Before officers can be authorised to use force, they must pass comprehensive training in Public and Personal Safety each year. This training reinforces the importance and legitimacy of use of force at every level.

The government publishes annual statistics on police use of force. The latest publication can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-use-of-force-statistics. These statistics have been developed in coordination with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other stakeholders to ensure there is transparency and accountability around the police use of force,

The Home Office does not hold any data on the number of police use of force reports that involved individuals recorded as property owners, occupiers or complainants.

.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police use-of-force incidents since 2017 involved individuals recorded as (a) property owners, (b) occupiers, and (c) complainants.

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

The government is clear police use of force must be reasonable, proportionate and necessary in all circumstances.

The College of Policing is the body responsible for setting out the guidance and training for the police. Guidance on the use of force is set out in Authorised Professional Practice which can be found here APP (authorised professional practice) | College of Policing. Given the operational nature of use of force, the College of Policing is best placed to set these standards.

Before officers can be authorised to use force, they must pass comprehensive training in Public and Personal Safety each year. This training reinforces the importance and legitimacy of use of force at every level.

The government publishes annual statistics on police use of force. The latest publication can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-use-of-force-statistics. These statistics have been developed in coordination with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other stakeholders to ensure there is transparency and accountability around the police use of force,

The Home Office does not hold any data on the number of police use of force reports that involved individuals recorded as property owners, occupiers or complainants.

.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) pre-action protocol letters, (b) judicial review applications and (c) injunction requests have been received relating to the one-in, one-out migrant returns scheme agreed with France since 1 July 2025.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The UK-France Treaty is an innovative pilot designed to deter illegal migration across the Channel. Litigation related to this pilot was anticipated and we are concentrating resources on robustly defending this so that removals can continue as planned. As of 7 November, 94 individuals have been returned to France through this agreement.

The Home Office maintains records on legal challenges. Operational details on the pilot are sensitive, and we will not be disclosing such information as it could inadvertently assist the organised immigration crime gangs that are behind small boats crossings.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has held discussions with U.S. agencies or corporations on digital identity, interoperability, or trust frameworks since 2021.

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

DSIT is developing the UK digital identity and attributes trust framework to enable secure, interoperable digital identity services in the UK. Senior officials regularly collaborate with international partners, including US departments, agencies, tech companies and standards bodies, to align best practices and share insights. These efforts help ensure the UK trust framework is compatible with national and international standards, fostering interoperability and trust. The department remains committed to ongoing collaboration and knowledge exchange to address new challenges in digital identity.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many distinct (a) organisations and (b) legal representatives have lodged (i) challenges and (ii) judicial reviews against removals under the one-in, one-out migrant returns scheme.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The UK-France Treaty is an innovative pilot designed to deter illegal migration across the Channel. Litigation related to this pilot was anticipated and we are concentrating resources on robustly defending this so that removals can continue as planned. As of 7 November, 94 individuals have been returned to France through this agreement.

The Home Office maintains records on legal challenges. Operational details on the pilot are sensitive, and we will not be disclosing such information as it could inadvertently assist the organised immigration crime gangs that are behind small boats crossings.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department maintains (a) internal statistical summaries and (b) dashboards recording the (i) number and (ii) cost of legal challenges to the one-in, one-out migrant returns scheme.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The UK-France Treaty is an innovative pilot designed to deter illegal migration across the Channel. Litigation related to this pilot was anticipated and we are concentrating resources on robustly defending this so that removals can continue as planned. As of 7 November, 94 individuals have been returned to France through this agreement.

The Home Office maintains records on legal challenges. Operational details on the pilot are sensitive, and we will not be disclosing such information as it could inadvertently assist the organised immigration crime gangs that are behind small boats crossings.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many planned removals under the one-in, one-out migrant returns scheme have been (a) postponed, (b) cancelled and (c) disrupted as a result of legal challenges or injunctions.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The UK-France Treaty is an innovative pilot designed to deter illegal migration across the Channel. Litigation related to this pilot was anticipated and we are concentrating resources on robustly defending this so that removals can continue as planned. As of 7 November, 94 individuals have been returned to France through this agreement.

The Home Office maintains records on legal challenges. Operational details on the pilot are sensitive, and we will not be disclosing such information as it could inadvertently assist the organised immigration crime gangs that are behind small boats crossings.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there has been any cost to the public purse of the (a) construction and (b) maintenance of (i) fencing, (ii) other physical barriers and (iii) surveillance infrastructure in northern France, including (A) Calais, (B) Grande-Synthe and (C) Dunkirk related to immigration since 1 January 2023.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office cannot comment on the specifics of French activity, but the Sandhurst agreement and related finances are referred to in this Press release from the beginning of the year - New UK-French action to go after smuggler gangs - GOV.UK

We continue close cooperation with France to strengthen border security and disrupt criminal gangs.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has engaged in (a) data-sharing, (b) surveillance coordination and (c) technology interoperability projects with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency since the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office strengthened cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency through the agreement of the UK-Frontex Working Arrangement in 2024. It would not be appropriate to disclose specific operational details of this framework as this could prejudice operational effectiveness. More information on the UK-Frontex Working Arrangement can found here.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people with non-UK nationality worked in the NHS by nationality in each of the last 25 years.

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

NHS England publishes data on the nationality of the National Health Service Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) workforce in England.

Data on the nationality of NHS staff includes a time-series from September 2009 until the latest quarter, with the most recent quarterly data being from June 2025. In the time series, data from September 2009 until September 2015 was recorded yearly, in September of each year. From September 2015 the data was recorded quarterly.

The most recent published data can be found in the file titled ‘HCHS staff in NHS Trusts and core orgs June 2025 - Staff in Post summary tables’, available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics/june-2025

Data on the nationality of NHS staff is not available prior to September 2009.

It is important to note that because recording of NHS nationality data has improved over time, comparisons of nationality in the NHS over time should be made only with caution.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether U.S. officials have (a) participated in and (b) been consulted on UK–Mauritius negotiations regarding the Chagos Islands and Diego Garcia since 2022.

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

As I stated in the House of Commons on 2 September, the UK-Mauritius treaty was tested at the highest levels of the United States' security establishment, across multiple agencies. The agreement has been backed by our key allies and international partners, including the US and all our Five Eyes partners.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether (a) Section 232 tariffs, (b) digital tax negotiations and (c) IP reforms have been discussed with USA trade officials in the context of a future UK–USA trade agreement.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK has continued to engage across the range of issues outlined in the General Terms for the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal agreed in May.

We're continuing talks on a wider deal which will look at addressing specific tariff and non-tariff barriers, increasing digital and services trade, and unlocking new commercial opportunities that benefit both nations. We cannot comment on the specifics of live negotiations.

Intensive discussions also continue on other sectors under Section 232 investigation towards the significantly preferential outcome provided for under the General Terms.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has communicated with (a) U.S. federal agencies and (b) major social media platforms on the moderation or removal of UK-based content since 2020.

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

The department regularly engages with international partners, including US federal agencies, on a range of technology-related issues.

The department also regularly engages with social media platforms to discuss online harms, including topics that pose a risk to the UK and its citizens. Using its trusted flagger status, the department can also refer online content to platforms that poses a risk to UK national security or public safety and is assessed as likely to violate platforms’ terms of service. It is then up to platforms to decide what action, if any, to take on content referred to them.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many complaints there have been relating to NHS staff in each of the last ten years.

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

Data on complaints made by, or on behalf of, patients about National Health Services provided by NHS trusts, general practices, and/or dental practices is collected and published annually. It is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/data-on-written-complaints-in-the-nhs

The data includes categorisation into broad ‘subject of complaint’ areas, a range of which may involve complaints including elements relating to members of NHS staff.

Independent bodies regulating health and care professionals across the United Kingdom, such as the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the General Medical Council, or the Health and Care Professions Council, also publish data relating to the fitness to practice investigations they undertake. These will cover professionals who are registered, not all of whom will be working in the NHS in England. These can be accessed via the relevant body’s website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the breakdown was of Category F patients treated by the NHS by nationality in each of the last five years.

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

The Department does not hold or collect the information requested. Guidance on identifying category F patients is available in the Guidance for Charging Overseas Visitors in England for Providers of NHS services, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-cost-recovery-overseas-visitors/charging-overseas-visitors-in-england-guidance-for-providers-of-nhs-services

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total number of Category F patients receiving emergency care was in each of the last five years.

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

The Department does not hold or collect the information requested. Guidance on identifying category F patients is available in the Guidance for Charging Overseas Visitors in England for Providers of NHS services, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-cost-recovery-overseas-visitors/charging-overseas-visitors-in-england-guidance-for-providers-of-nhs-services

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Category F patients were treated by the NHS; and at what cost in each of the last five years.

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

The Department does not hold or collect the information requested. Guidance on identifying category F patients is available in the Guidance for Charging Overseas Visitors in England for Providers of NHS services, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-cost-recovery-overseas-visitors/charging-overseas-visitors-in-england-guidance-for-providers-of-nhs-services

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 on identifying Category F patients.

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

The Department does not hold or collect the information requested. Guidance on identifying category F patients is available in the Guidance for Charging Overseas Visitors in England for Providers of NHS services, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-cost-recovery-overseas-visitors/charging-overseas-visitors-in-england-guidance-for-providers-of-nhs-services

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the total value of unpaid invoices to Category F patients.

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

The Department does not hold or collect the information requested. Guidance on identifying category F patients is available in the Guidance for Charging Overseas Visitors in England for Providers of NHS services, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-cost-recovery-overseas-visitors/charging-overseas-visitors-in-england-guidance-for-providers-of-nhs-services

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, how many (a) active and (b) concluded cases the Government Legal Department has handled relating to legal challenges against the one-in, one-out migrant returns scheme; and what the total cost of that litigation has been.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The UK-France Treaty is an innovative pilot designed to deter illegal migration across the Channel. Litigation related to this pilot was anticipated and we are concentrating resources on robustly defending this so that removals can continue as planned. As of 28 November, 153 individuals have been returned to France through this agreement.

Operational details on the pilot are sensitive, and we will not be disclosing such information as it could inadvertently assist the organised immigration crime gangs that are behind small boats crossings.

Collection and publication of nationality data by Government Departments

Trial by jury

Pink Ladies of Essex

Found: Warrington South) Lloyd Hatton (Labour; South Dorset) Chris Kane (Labour; Stirling and Strathallan) Rupert Lowe

Found: Members present: Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Chair); Mr Clive Betts; Anna Dixon; Sarah Green; Rupert Lowe

Found: Warrington South) Lloyd Hatton (Labour; South Dorset) Chris Kane (Labour; Stirling and Strathallan) Rupert Lowe

Found: Warrington South) Lloyd Hatton (Labour; South Dorset) Chris Kane (Labour; Stirling and Strathallan) Rupert Lowe

Found: I also welcome our newest member, Rupert Lowe.

Found: I also welcome our newest member, Rupert Lowe.

Found: Warrington South) Lloyd Hatton (Labour; South Dorset) Chris Kane (Labour; Stirling and Strathallan) Rupert Lowe