Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the policy paper entitled Economic note: Appendix Family Reunion, suspension of new applications, published on 4 September 2025, if she will publish the equalities impact assessment for that note.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Impacts on vulnerable individuals and equalities considerations are at the front and centre of our work. As required through the Public Sector Equality Duty, we consider equality impacts throughout the policy development process, refugee family reunion is no exception. The Home Office will not be releasing the Equality Impact Assessment as the policy is still in development as part of wider reform.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the NHS Counter Fraud Authority has made on its investigations into providers of NHS-funded cataract care.

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

Independent providers play an important role supporting the National Health Service to deliver eyecare services, ensuring patients receive the treatment and care they need. However, we were clear in the 10-Year Health Plan that we will neither tolerate ‘gaming’ the national payment tariff to cherry pick the simplest, most profitable cases, nor any quality shortcomings.

The NHS Counter Fraud Authority operates as an independent body conducting data analysis to prevent fraud and other economic crime within the NHS, with all suspicions of fraud and investigations managed with the utmost confidentiality. Any updates on cases will be reported at the appropriate time.