Sarah Green

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman publishes guidance on what it can and cannot investigate, timescales and what those making complaints can expect. The Ombudsman is independent of Government, so it is for the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee to consider whether the guidance is adequate.

The UK has worked closely with international partners to constrain Russian oil revenues while maintaining energy market security. The Government does not speculate on future sanctions measures as to do so could reduce their impact. We continue to monitor the effectiveness of our sanctions.

The proposal to increase the monetary thresholds for company size are based on findings from a call for evidence on non-financial reporting, which the Department for Business and Trade undertook last year. Most respondents supported amending the qualifying criteria that determine company size, particularly raising the monetary thresholds.

Under the proposals around 14,000 companies will be reclassified from medium-sized to small and therefore may be eligible for the small company audit exemption. Many of these companies are owned and operated by family members, who are well-versed in the company’s operations. The benefits of audit are more limited for such businesses.

It is for the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) to decide whether the International Standard on Auditing for Audits of Financial Statements of Less Complex Entities (ISA for LCE) provides proper and proportionate scrutiny of financial statements. The Government expects to see the FRC act in line with the requirements placed on it to consider the proportionality of its decisions and its impacts on economic growth. These requirements will continue to apply to the new Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority (ARGA) once it is created.

As a part of the public sector, further education (FE) colleges will be compensated for the increased employer National Insurance contributions. Details about this compensation will be announced in the future.

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £300 million in 2025/26 for FE at the Autumn Budget 2024, to ensure young people are developing the skills they need to succeed. The department will set out in due course how this is distributed.

The government does not set pay or conditions within FE. This remains the responsibility of individual providers.

To boost the recruitment and retention of teachers, the department has extended targeted retention incentive payments of up to £6,000 after tax to eligible early-career FE teachers in key subject areas.

The department knows that English and mathematics brings significant gains to all students, including children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by improving their employment prospects and access to qualifications at Level 3 and beyond. The mathematics and English condition of funding supports students who do not attain Level 2 English and mathematics qualifications at 16 by requiring them to continue to study these subjects as part of their 16-19 study programme or T Level. Where a student is not able to study GCSE or Functional Skills, they should be supported to achieve a stepping-stone qualification at an appropriate lower level. As the mathematics and English condition of funding is a study requirement, the focus is on supporting students to continue studying and learning these skills.

If a student wishes to re-take their Level 2 English and/or mathematics exam, they should do so when they and their institution think they are ready. The department will continue to assess the impacts of the condition of funding policy to understand where improvements can be made, including talking to lead sector bodies to understand the impacts on students with SEND. In parallel, the Curriculum and Assessment Review will look at ensuring all young people aged 16-19 have an excellent foundation in English and mathematics and how best to support 16 to 19 year olds who currently do not achieve a Level 2 qualification in these subjects by 16.

The department is making good progress with the review of qualifications reform. The review is focused on Level 3 qualifications that are due to have funding removed on 31 July 2025. The review will aim to ensure that there are a range of high quality qualifications at Level 3 alongside T Levels and A levels to meet the needs of learners and employers.

The department has an extensive programme of engagement underway, to ensure that the views of colleges, schools, teachers and wider stakeholders are fed into the review. The department has already held a round table, which was chaired by my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills, with key leaders in the college sector. The department is also undertaking a series of focus groups and interviews with colleges, schools and other organisations to ensure that the views of stakeholders are fully considered. Alongside this, departmental officials are using the latest student data and information available to inform the review. The department remains committed to undertaking this review quickly and concluding it by the end of the year.

The department recognises the vital role that further education (FE) teachers and providers play in developing the skills needed to drive the government’s missions to improve opportunity and economic growth.

The government does not set or recommend pay in FE. The pay and conditions of FE staff remains the responsibility of individual colleges and providers who are free to implement pay arrangements in line with their local needs.

We are investing around an additional £600 million in FE across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years. This includes extending retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax to eligible early career FE teachers in key subject areas. The department is also continuing to support recruitment and retention with teacher training bursaries worth up to £30,000 tax-free in certain key subject areas, and with support for industry professionals to enter the teaching workforce through the Taking Teaching Further programme.

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a Budget on 30 October to be followed by a multi-year spending review in the spring of next year. Decisions about future post-16 funding and capital programmes will be subject to the outcomes of these fiscal events.

Ofsted inspections independently assess the quality of adult learning providers and Skills Bootcamps have been part of this remit since April 2023. Ofsted inspection reports help support providers to improve the quality of their provision. The department can, at its discretion, take appropriate contractual action where performance is below the standard expected of providers.

The government is committed to reforming Ofsted and improving the inspection system and has set out a series of commitments to reforming accountability, such as moving away from the single headline grade to a richer system through a report card. The government will want to engage with Ofsted, including looking closely at the results of its ‘Big Listen’ and will work in partnership with those from the range of sectors that Ofsted works in, including skills, to look at opportunities to improve the current arrangements.

The previous Government carried out a consultation on extending Not-for-EU labelling requirements across Great Britain, including assessing the impacts on those businesses who export to the European Union but not to Northern Ireland. After reviewing that consultation, this Government has confirmed we will not introduce mandatory ‘not for EU’ labelling across Great Britain as proposed. This Government will continue to do everything required to support Northern Ireland's integral place in our internal market.

A consultation on proposals to improve and extend current mandatory method of production labelling was undertaken between March and May 2024 by the previous Government.

The consultation sought views on options for the production standards behind the label, including the period of life which should be covered by the standards (for example whether slaughter should be included). We are now carefully considering all responses provided to the consultation before deciding on next steps.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Defra is committed to protecting our nature-rich habitats, including peat bogs, and is looking at next steps regarding measures to ban horticultural peat. The Department will continue to work alongside the horticultural sector to accelerate progress on the peat free transition.

The Government supports species reintroductions where there are clear benefits for nature, people and the environment. All reintroductions in England are expected to follow the Code for Reintroductions and other Conservation Translocations. We will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions in England.

Improving bus services is a key part of this Government’s growth mission. We are determined to deliver better services, grow passenger numbers and drive opportunity to under-served regions. The Government will empower local transport authorities and reform funding by giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding and allowing them to plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities. Local authorities are best placed to understand what is needed to improve and grow their bus networks by learning from their experiences and building on their successes, and we will announce our future bus funding plans in due course.

The Government is currently reviewing the position it has inherited on HS2 and wider rail infrastructure and will set out more detailed plans in due course.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is to reduce car practical driving test waiting times, whilst upholding road safety standards.

Measures in place to reduce waiting times for customers at driving test centres, include the recruitment of driving examiners, conducting tests outside of regular hours, including at weekends and on public holidays, and buying back annual leave from driving examiners.

As of 7 October 2024, there were 571,047 car practical driving tests booked, and 89,349 driving tests available within the 24-week booking window.

A survey by DVSA suggests that only 10% of learner drivers use third parties to book their tests. Most either book appointments themselves or through their approved driving instructor (ADI).

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, The DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests. Such apps or bots are not approved by DVSA. They make it harder for candidates to get a test and can also result in people paying more for a test. DVSA will continue to take steps to block cancellation services from accessing the booking system, which is having a positive impact.

DVSA operates an online booking service (OBS) for instructors and trainers so that they can book and manage driving and riding tests for their pupils. DVSA has made changes to the OBS by stopping automatic online registrations to use the service, ensuring each company that registers employs an ADI and removing access for any companies not linked to driving instructors.

In January 2023, DVSA changed the terms and conditions for using the booking service to help prevent anyone from selling tests at profit. Since then, DVSA has issued 313 warnings, 766 suspensions, and closed 705 businesses for misuse of its booking service.

Following these changes, there has been a significant drop in traffic to these services because DVSA is successfully identifying and blocking apps or bots.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six.

Local authorities in England have the power to go beyond their statutory obligations under the ENCTS and offer additional discretionary concessions, such as providing a concessionary bus pass from the age of 60.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is to reduce car practical driving test waiting times, whilst upholding road safety standards.

As of 9 September 2024, there were 556,774 car practical driving tests booked, and 91,059 driving tests available within the 24-week booking window.

Measures in place to reduce waiting times for customers at driving test centres, include the recruitment of driving examiners, conducting tests outside of regular hours, including at weekends and on public holidays, and buying back annual leave from driving examiners.

The DVSA also continues to deploy examiners from areas with lower waiting times into those centres with longer waiting times. This is in addition to the DVSA recruiting additional examiners across the country into areas where waiting times are highest.

A principle of child maintenance is to increase levels of cooperation between separated parents and encourage parents to meet their responsibilities to provide their children with financial support. Where a family-based child maintenance arrangement is not suitable the Child Maintenance Service offers a statutory scheme for those parents who need it.

The Government is dedicated to ensuring parents meet their obligations to children and the Child Maintenance Service will do everything within its powers to make sure parents comply. Where parents fail to pay their child maintenance, the Service will not hesitate to use its enforcement powers, including deductions from earnings orders, removal of driving licences, disqualification from holding a passport, and committal to prison. The Service is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.

Statistics on child maintenance arrangements and collections are part of the CMS quarterly statistics published on gov.uk in tables 4, 5 and 6 of the National Tables. The below information is from the latest publication for data up to March 2024.

• In the 12 months up to March 2024 the child maintenance service arranged £1.4 billion child maintenance, an increase from £1.2 billion during the previous 12 months.
• 61% of all CMS arrangements use Direct Pay, with 37% using Collect and Pay and just over one billion pounds was arranged through the Direct Pay service in the last 12 months (we do not measure the compliance of Paying Parents on the Direct Pay service).
• Since March 2023, the percentage of parents paying something towards their maintenance through collect & pay has increased to 69% from 65%.
• In the period April 2023 to March 2024 £316.8 million was arranged through the Collect & Pay service:

o £224.9 million was paid

o £91.9 million was unpaid

Income, including income from assets as well as earned income, needs to be declared to the UK tax authorities and subject to UK tax in order to be included in the maintenance calculation.

The Government is now considering next steps on the child maintenance service.

The Department does not hold data specifically on the number of people waiting for treatment for Parkinson’s disease in England. The Department does hold data on waiting times for neurology, but not broken down by specific conditions. The latest data for referral to treatment waiting times in England, from September 2024, shows there were over 234,000 patients waiting for a neurology appointment, and that 54% of patients were seen by a neurologist within 18 weeks.

There are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with Parkinson’s disease in England, including the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP).

The GIRFT National Specialty Report made recommendations designed to improve services nationally, and to support the National Health Service to deliver care more equitably across the country. The report highlighted differences in how services are delivered, and provided the opportunity to share successful initiatives between trusts to improve patient services nationally. In addition, the NTP has developed a model of integrated care for neurology services to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including providing care closer to home.

Once diagnosed, and with a management strategy in place, the majority of people with Parkinson’s can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of Parkinson’s care that patients may receive from 27 neurology centres across England. Within specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure patients can access a range of health professionals, including Parkinson’s disease nurses, psychologists, and allied health professionals such as dieticians and speech and language therapists, and that they can receive specialised treatment and support according to their needs.

No specific assessment has been made of the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses required to meet the current need of patients in England. While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the numbers working in the wider speciality of neurology. As of July 2024, there were over 1,800 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology in NHS trusts and other organisations in England. This includes over 900 FTE consultant neurologists. In 2023, the fill rate for recruitment into the specialty of neurology in England was 94%.

The NHS workforce has been overworked for years, leading to staff becoming burnt out and demoralised. We must be honest about the challenges we are facing. The NHS is broken but not beaten and together we will turn it around.

We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention.

A central and core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.

The Department does not hold data specifically on the number of people waiting for treatment for Parkinson’s disease in England. The Department does hold data on waiting times for neurology, but not broken down by specific conditions. The latest data for referral to treatment waiting times in England, from September 2024, shows there were over 234,000 patients waiting for a neurology appointment, and that 54% of patients were seen by a neurologist within 18 weeks.

There are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with Parkinson’s disease in England, including the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP).

The GIRFT National Specialty Report made recommendations designed to improve services nationally, and to support the National Health Service to deliver care more equitably across the country. The report highlighted differences in how services are delivered, and provided the opportunity to share successful initiatives between trusts to improve patient services nationally. In addition, the NTP has developed a model of integrated care for neurology services to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including providing care closer to home.

Once diagnosed, and with a management strategy in place, the majority of people with Parkinson’s can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of Parkinson’s care that patients may receive from 27 neurology centres across England. Within specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure patients can access a range of health professionals, including Parkinson’s disease nurses, psychologists, and allied health professionals such as dieticians and speech and language therapists, and that they can receive specialised treatment and support according to their needs.

No specific assessment has been made of the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses required to meet the current need of patients in England. While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the numbers working in the wider speciality of neurology. As of July 2024, there were over 1,800 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology in NHS trusts and other organisations in England. This includes over 900 FTE consultant neurologists. In 2023, the fill rate for recruitment into the specialty of neurology in England was 94%.

The NHS workforce has been overworked for years, leading to staff becoming burnt out and demoralised. We must be honest about the challenges we are facing. The NHS is broken but not beaten and together we will turn it around.

We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention.

A central and core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.

Since 2020, the National Health Service in England has invested significantly in supporting people with long COVID. This includes setting up specialist post-COVID services nationwide for adults, and children and young people, as well as investing in ensuring general practice (GP) teams are equipped to support people affected by the condition.

As of 1 April 2024, there are over 90 adult post-COVID services across England, along with an additional 10 children and young people’s hubs. These services assess people with long COVID and direct them into care pathways which provide appropriate support and treatment. GPs will assess patients that have COVID-19 symptoms lasting longer than four weeks, and refer them into a long COVID service where appropriate. Referral should be via a single point of access, which is managed by clinician-led triage.

The Government has invested £58 million in research through two specific funding calls to better understand long COVID and how to treat it. The projects funded aim to improve our understanding of the diagnosis and underlying mechanisms of the disease and the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, as well as to evaluate clinical care. The NHS and scientific community are working at pace to progress long COVID research.

Although patient safety incidents related to online consultation tools are extremely rare, even a single incident is one too many, and the Government takes them very seriously. NHS England published the Primary Care Patient Safety Strategy (PCPSS) on 26 September 2024 which builds on the 2019 Patient Safety Strategy, and outlines how the National Health Service will continue to enhance patient safety in primary care.

Commissioners and primary care providers can purchase digital tools from approved suppliers in the Digital Care Services catalogue. These suppliers must ensure they show compliance with clinical risk management standards. Integrated care boards should involve general practice staff and patients in the procurement process, and provide support for safe and effective tool implementation. Only services that meet required standards, including patient safety, can be procured. The PCPSS sets out additional safety requirements for suppliers to meet in future procurements.

The Government recognises the significant challenges faced by women with endometriosis, and is committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service. Information for the public on endometriosis symptoms and treatments can be found on the NHS YouTube channel and the NHS website, which are available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABi1ncHorBY

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/endometriosis/

Although at present thoracic endometriosis is not specifically mentioned on these pages, the NHS website’s endometriosis page links to further resources, including the Endometriosis UK website. The Endometriosis UK website includes information on endometriosis outside the pelvis and highlights questions that a patient can ask in secondary care, as well as the option of referral for a second opinion. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/getting-diagnosed-0

The Endometriosis UK website also includes an informational video on thoracic endometriosis, which is available at the following link:

https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/webinar/thoracic-endometriosis

The action taken by the UK and partners to limit Russian energy revenues is having a significant impact, with Russia forced to shoulder a 24 per cent reduction in oil and gas revenues in 2023 compared to 2022. We are working to close loopholes and crack down on ever more desperate forms of sanctions circumvention, including by sanctioning vessels which use reckless practices in an attempt to undermine our impact. The UK has led in the G7 to target oil and LNG tankers, and we will continue to work closely with EU and G7 counterparts to monitor the effectiveness of the Oil Price Cap.

The Chevening programme is currently open for applications and closes on 5 November. Given the difficulty potential applicants from Gaza face and evolving situation on the ground, the FCDO will review exact numbers from Gaza for the 2025/26 academic year in spring 2025 once all applications have been received. The 2024/25 cohort includes 11 Palestinians, of which one is from Gaza. The FCDO recognises the challenging situation facing many Palestinian applicants, and as such, we have offered to defer arrival for specific cases.

The Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians (HESPAL) programme is delivered by the British Council, with funding and support from the Department for Education, UK universities and a range of other UK and international funders. The decision to increase funding lies with these organisations. The HESPAL programme demonstrates UK commitment to education for young Palestinians, helping to create the next generation of senior academics who can maintain international quality standards at Palestinian universities and develop renewed and sustainable links between Palestinian and UK universities. More information can be found here: https://www.britishcouncil.ps/en/study-uk/scholarships/hespal

The Government keeps all tax policy under review.

The action taken by the UK and its Coalition partners to limit Russian energy revenues is having a significant impact, with data from Russia’s Ministry of Finance showing there was a 30% reduction in Russian government tax revenues from oil in 2023 compared to 2022.

HM Treasury’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) is the authority responsible for implementing financial sanctions and the Oil Price Cap. OFSI takes a proactive enforcement approach based on its enhanced intelligence and monitoring capabilities, and is currently undertaking a number of investigations into suspected breaches of the price cap, using powers under the Sanctions and Anti Money Laundering Act (SAMLA) to request information and working closely with our international partners in the G7+ Oil Price Cap Coalition.

Industry compliance is further strengthened through guidance and alerts, for example the compliance and enforcement alert issued in February 2024 on the Oil Price Cap, which highlighted to industry red flags for sanctions evasion.

Enforcement outcomes are never immediate, as complex investigations, including following due process, take time. The length of OFSI’s investigation process is consistent with international standards. OFSI assesses every instance of reported non-compliance and takes action in all cases where it is appropriate to do so. This was demonstrated by OFSI’s penalty against the British company Integral Concierge Services Limited on 27 September, for committing serious breaches of UK sanctions imposed as a result of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The UK has also taken action directly targeting shadow fleet vessels and entities that seek to undermine UK sanctions and facilitate the trade and transportation of Russian oil and oil products.

Alcohol duties collectively raise over £12bn a year, helping to fund vital public services and addressing the harms caused to society and public health by excessive or irresponsible drinking.

Under the recent alcohol duty reforms, there remains a small number of disparities for products between 3.5 per cent and 8.5 per cent ABV, owing to concerns about the impact on the cider industry at the time of the reforms.

The Government is closely monitoring the impact of the recent reforms and rates that took effect on 1 August 2023, and the Chancellor has confirmed that she will set out plans for tax – as well as spending and borrowing – in the usual way at the Budget on 30 October.

The Lifetime ISA (LISA) was set up to help people build up savings for buying their first home, or for their later life. LISA funds, including any Government bonus, can be withdrawn for the purchase of a first home under £450,000, in the case of terminal illness, or from the age of 60.

Any unauthorised withdrawals are subject to a 25% withdrawal charge. This recoups the Government bonus, any interest or growth arising from it, and a proportion of the individual’s initial savings. Reducing the withdrawal charge would encourage the use of LISAs in ways for which they were not intended.

The Lifetime ISA is set at an appropriate level to support most first-time buyers across the UK while targeting households that may find it most difficult to get onto the property ladder. Data from the latest UK House Price Index demonstrates that the average price paid by first-time buyers remains below the LISA property price cap in all regions of the UK.

The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review, and considers all representations made carefully, with any changes made as part of the Budget process.

The Lifetime ISA (LISA) was set up to help people build up savings for buying their first home, or for their later life. LISA funds, including any Government bonus, can be withdrawn for the purchase of a first home under £450,000, in the case of terminal illness, or from the age of 60.

Any unauthorised withdrawals are subject to a 25% withdrawal charge. This recoups the Government bonus, any interest or growth arising from it, and a proportion of the individual’s initial savings. Reducing the withdrawal charge would encourage the use of LISAs in ways for which they were not intended.

The Lifetime ISA is set at an appropriate level to support most first-time buyers across the UK while targeting households that may find it most difficult to get onto the property ladder. Data from the latest UK House Price Index demonstrates that the average price paid by first-time buyers remains below the LISA property price cap in all regions of the UK.

The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review, and considers all representations made carefully, with any changes made as part of the Budget process.

The government is keeping all existing pathways under review in response to events in Gaza.  Currently, Palestinians who wish to join family members in the UK can do so via the existing range of routes available.

Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules. Immediate family members of British citizens and those settled in the UK who wish to come and live in the UK can apply under one of the existing family visa routes.

There are also routes available for dependants of those who are in the UK on a work or student route.

Individuals with protection status or settlement on a protection route may sponsor their partner or child (under 18), to join or stay with them in the UK, providing they formed part of the pre-flight family unit before the sponsor fled their country to seek protection.

When the visa application has been received consideration will be given to compelling, compassionate and exceptional circumstances.