Simon Opher

The Work and Pensions Select Committee inquiry report on Defined Benefit pension schemes, published in March 2024 helpfully outlines areas to be considered, including the lack of pre-April 97 indexation in the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme. I recognise the importance of this issue for affected members. I will need to consider this issue in the coming weeks as I receive further briefing on Defined Benefit pensions.

The Government is currently considering what steps may need to be taken in relation to the safety of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, including filler injections. The Government will set out its position at the earliest opportunity.

The Department is currently considering next steps to improve access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including ADHD assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England is establishing to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce will bring together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD and to help provide a joined-up approach in response to concerns around rising demand.

Alongside the work of the taskforce, NHS England will continue to develop a national ADHD data improvement plan, carry out more detailed work to understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from local health systems which are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services to ensure best practice is captured and shared across the system.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended a universal varicella chickenpox vaccination programme be introduced as part of the routine childhood schedule. The JCVI statement is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childhood-varicella-vaccination-programme-jcvi-advice-14-november-2023/jcvi-statement-on-a-childhood-varicella-chickenpox-vaccination-programme

Ministers have accepted the JCVI recommendation, and the Department is in discussions with NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency on the potential implementation of the recommendation.

The latest data available to NHS England indicates that there are 25 midwifery led units (MLUs) operating in England. The following table lists each unit, as well as their provider:

No assessment has been made regarding a policy to increase the ratio of healthcare assistants to midwives in stand-alone midwife-led maternity units.

NHS England have committed to ensuring that the right numbers of the right staff are available to provide the best care for women and babies through regular local workforce planning.

The Government recognises that there are serious issues within maternity services and we will learn from the findings from recent inquiries and investigations such as that carried out at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust and from the emerging lessons from the ongoing inquiry at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. The Government’s policy is that the National Health Service as a whole is in crisis, and my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has commissioned an investigation into the NHS, led by Professor Lord Darzi, which will focus on assessing patient access to healthcare, the quality of healthcare being provided and the overall performance of the health system.

Asylum seekers who have had their claim outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own, can apply for permission to work. Those permitted to work are restricted to jobs on the Immigration Salary List. This list is based on expert advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee.

Whilst we keep all policies under review, there are no immediate plans to change the existing policy. It is important that we distinguish between individuals who need protection and those seeking to work here who can apply for a work visa under the Immigration Rules.

The Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system after it has been put under unprecedented pressure. We will ensure that the system operates fairly and with quicker processing of claims. This will see recognised refugees being able to work, whilst failed asylum seekers can be removed.

The Home Office has a statutory obligation to support and accommodate destitute asylum seekers whilst their asylum claims are considered.

We work with local authorities to ensure housing is procured in a fair and equitable manner across England, Scotland and Wales. For the safety and security of those we accommodate and our staff, the Home Office does not comment publicly on sites which may or may not be utilised to accommodate asylum seekers.

Asylum seekers may be detained for immigration purposes only in accordance with Home Office detention policy, as set out in the Detention General Instructions, the Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention guidance and the Detained Asylum Casework guidance.

There are various factors which influence a decision to detain, as set out in published policy. In asylum cases concerning Foreign National Offenders, there may be a higher risk of absconding and harm to the public on release and therefore it will normally be appropriate to detain as long as there is a realistic prospect of removal with a reasonable timescale.

The Government has made clear the that the Migration and Economic Development (MEDP) Policy with Rwanda will end. We will bring forward a new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill as promised in the King’s Speech.

The Government is committed to strengthening neighbourhood policing as part of its Safer Streets Mission, That is why we are working with policing to introduce a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, providing a more visible police presence in town centres, recruiting thousands of extra additional police officers, PCSOs and Special Constables, We will set out our plans for the Guarantee, and the recruitment of additional officers, shortly.

This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country. We are committed to making sure veterans make full use of the skills, qualifications and capabilities they gained in the military after they leave the Armed Forces.

An aligned employment support offer for veterans and their families is key to achieving this, bringing together the newly refreshed Career Transition Partnership, Veterans’ Sector-Based Employment Pathway and Defence Relationship Management, as well as partners across Government and civil society.

For example, the NHS recognise the range of benefits that veterans and members of the Armed Forces community have to offer their organisation, as demonstrated through the dedicated ‘Step into Health’ recruitment pathway across NHS England.

No licences have yet been issued for trail hunting on the Ministry of Defence Estate for the 2024–2025 season.

I refer my Hon Friend to the answer given to Question UIN 6686 on 14 October 2024.

The park homes sector is an important part of the housing market and must be a safe and secure place for residents.

The Government recognises that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home.

The Government will set out its position on this matter in due course.

The Government is fully committed to rejuvenating our high streets and tackling the issue of persistent vacancy. To achieve this, we will implement new High Street Rental Auctions as set out in Part 10 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. This will empower local authorities to require landlords to rent out persistently vacant commercial properties to new tenants. Secondary legislation will be introduced shortly to enable local authorities to exercise this power.

The Government is considering what action may be appropriate to help red-listed birds, including how to drive up rates of swift brick installation in new build properties.

The Government is committed to the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. Our aspiration is to ensure that, in the first full financial year of this Parliament (2025-26), the number of Social Rent homes is rising rather than falling.

Our proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework include setting a clear expectation that housing needs assessments must consider the needs of those requiring Social Rent homes, and that local authorities should specify their expectations on Social Rent delivery as part of broader affordable housing policies.

We have asked Homes England and the Greater London Authority to maximise the number of Social Rent homes in allocating the remaining Affordable Homes Programme funding. The Government has started to review the increased Right to Buy discounts introduced in 2012, on which we will bring forward more details and secondary legislation to implement changes in the autumn. We have also announced new flexibilities for how councils can use their Right to Buy receipts to deliver replacement homes; these flexibilities will be in place for an initial 24 months, subject to review.

We are committed to setting out details of future Government investment in social and affordable housing at the Spending Review.

This Government is committed to protecting children and young people from sexual abuse. We have robust legislation in this area, and “position of trust” offences were reviewed and updated in 2022. We continue to keep this important area of law under review.

The right to protest peacefully is a fundamental part of our democracy. There is a long tradition in this country of people being able to come together and express their views. This Government remains firmly committed to protecting and preserving this right.

The independent Sentencing Review has a broad remit and will evaluate the sentencing framework as a whole to ensure it is up to date and consistent. The Review will examine options following three core principles: punishing offenders and protecting the public, ensuring sentences encourage prisoners to turn away from crime, and expanding the range of tough punishments outside of prison.

It will be up to the Chair to decide his areas of focus, but the terms of reference ask it to include: the use and impact of short custodial sentences; community alternatives to prison; use of fines; the role of incentives in sentence management; the framework around longer custodial sentences; approach for specific cohorts including women and prolific offenders; and sentencing for offences primarily committed against women and girls.