Written questions by Cooper.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing NHS Pension Scheme members in receipt of pension benefits to choose to revert to legacy scheme benefits if they can evidence financial difficulty.

The NHS Pension Scheme is delivered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). NHSBSA is prioritising the issuance of remediable service statements to cohorts of NHS Pension Scheme members affected by the public service pensions remedy (‘McCloud’) who are most likely to receive higher pension benefits following their benefit choice. A fast-track process to enable members who meet certain criteria to apply to receive a remediable service statement sooner has been in place since late 2023.

Whether retired members of the NHS Pension Scheme who are eligible to make a choice to revert to legacy benefits can present evidence to the NHS Business Services Authority of financial difficulty for the purposes of making a choice to revert to legacy scheme benefits sooner.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is prioritising the provision of remediable service statements to those cohorts of NHS Pension Scheme members affected by the public service pensions remedy, the McCloud remedy, who are most likely to receive higher pension benefits following their benefit choice.Affected members do not need to present evidence either to receive a breakdown of information about their choice or to apply to receive a remediable service statement. A fast-track process is in place to which members meeting certain criteria can apply to receive a remediable service statement sooner.

On what basis the NHS Business Services Authority decided that expected eligibility to make a choice to revert to legacy scheme benefits under the McCloud remedy should not be considered a disclosure event as defined by The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2013.

All members of the NHS Pension Scheme who are affected by the McCloud remedy were contacted by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in January 2024 to inform them that they are eligible to make a benefit choice. Further information to enable this choice to be made will be provided to NHS Pension Scheme members by the NHSBSA at the earliest opportunity.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 March to Question 36781 on Refuges: Public Transport, what progress she has made on plans she has to explore targeted options for affordable bus travel for (a) women and (b) children residing women's refuges; and whether there is a mechanism available for hon. Members and stakeholders to submit ideas for improvements.

The government is investing over £150 million to deliver a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025 to help millions of people. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities. Local authorities can use this funding however they wish to improve services for passengers, including introducing new fares initiatives, introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities. Moving forward, the government is exploring more targeted options that deliver value for money to the taxpayer, to ensure affordable bus travel is always available for the groups who need it most – such as young people. Departmental Ministers and officials also regularly meet and engage with parliamentarians and stakeholders on a range of issues, including exploring opportunities to improve bus services, and will continue to do so. The Department for Transport has an ambitious programme of work to contribute towards the Safer Streets mission and tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG). This includes a measure in the upcoming Buses Service Bill on mandating training for staff in the bus industry, including drivers, on how to recognise and respond to incidents of criminal and anti-social behaviour, including acts of VAWG.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of the UK becoming a signatory to the World Health Organisation's resolution entitled Reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases through the promotion of kidney health and strengthening prevention and control of kidney disease.

The United Kingdom actively engaged in negotiations on the World Health Organization (WHO) resolution, Reducing the Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) through the Promotion of Kidney Health and Strengthening Prevention and Control of Kidney Disease, in advance of the 156th WHO Executive Board in February 2025. The Executive Board recommended adoption of all resolutions considered to the World Health Assembly, including this one, subject to ongoing budget discussions. If adopted, the resolution will apply to the UK as a Member State of the WHO. We remain committed to tackling NCDs, including kidney disease, domestically and internationally.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2024 to Question 404 on Watford Hospital: Construction, whether he plans to visit West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust before 4 July 2025.

Ministers regularly consider visits across the country to see the impact of their policy areas. Any plans to visit specific locations will be notified to the relevant Members of Parliament in advance.

Whether he has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of (a) NHS Capital and (b) District Valuer Services rules in meeting demand for new primary care facilities.

The Government is committed to fixing the front door of the National Health Service, and this includes working with providers to deliver the primary care infrastructure required to enable a Neighbourhood Health Service.Capital spending is set to increase by £1.8 billion to £13.6 billion in 2025/26, representing a real terms increase of 12.8%. Excluding COVID-19 years, this settlement represents the highest Departmental capital budget in real terms since 2010. The Department is currently reviewing capital requirements in line with the Government’s missions and as part of our preparations for future budget allocations.Properties occupied by general practitioners are required to be professionally valued by the District Valuer. This is to ensure that agreed rent levels are in line with market conditions. It is important that these rent levels represent value for money because they will be reimbursed by the local integrated care board under the Premises Costs Directions 2024.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to prophylactics for immunocompromised people for whom vaccines are not effective.

Decisions about what medicines to prescribe are made by the doctor or healthcare professional responsible for that part of the patient’s care, working with their patient to decide on the best course of treatment with the provision of the most clinically appropriate care for the patient always being the primary consideration. Prescribers must always satisfy themselves that the medicines they consider appropriate for their patients can be safely prescribed and that they take account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards.The UK Health Security Agency provides guidance on alternative treatments that are recommended to be available to those that cannot be vaccinated and information regarding prophylactics that should be used for immunosuppressed individuals who are exposed to infections. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has also issued guidance for the National Health Service on the clinical and cost effectiveness of some medicines used for prophylaxis.Decisions on whether licensed medicines, including those for prophylaxis, should be recommended for routine NHS funding are made independently by NICE, based on the evidence of costs and benefits.

Whether funding has been allocated for the enabling works for Watford General Hospital.

As announced following the review of the New Hospital Programme, Watford General Hospital will be delivered in Wave 2. Enabling works, including the Outline Business Case for the Watford General Hospital scheme, will be taken forward by West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust from 2028/29, or sooner if possible.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the affordability of public transport for (a) women and (b) children residing in women's refuges.

Delivering safe and affordable public transport are key considerations for the Government and our ambitious reforms of the bus system and railway will ensure services better meet the needs of communities. The Department supports the Rail Delivery Group funded Rail to Refuge scheme which provides those fleeing domestic abuse (and any children who may be required to travel with them) free rail travel to a refuge. This support is crucial in providing essential access to transport for those in need. We are also investing over £150 million to deliver a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025 to help millions of people. We will continue to explore more targeted options that deliver value for money to the taxpayer, to ensure affordable bus travel is available for the groups who need it the most.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has provided funding to children's therapists to support families residing in women's refuges.

This government is committed to tackling violence against women and girls and supporting victims of domestic abuse, including children.Since 2021, local authorities in England have had a duty under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 to ensure victims and their children have access to support in safe accommodation, including women’s refuges. In delivering this duty, local authorities should provide support to children, in line with the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which makes it clear that affected children and young people are victims of domestic abuse in their own right.For 2025/26, £160 million has been allocated to local authorities to deliver this duty, a £30 million uplift from the previous year. This funding is for crucial support within safe accommodation, including therapeutic support for children. To deliver this duty in 2025/26, Hertfordshire County Council has been allocated £2,615,252 and St Albans District Council has been allocated £37,869 for relevant administrative costs.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 December 2024 to Question 20389 on NHS: Workplace Pensions, how many full time equivalent staff NHSBSA have allocated to administer the remedy implementation for those retirees who will be asked to make a choice about whether to revert to legacy benefits.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has allocated 112 working-time equivalent staff to administer the public service pensions remedy (‘McCloud’) immediate choice for retired members of the NHS Pension Scheme. This number is flexible and, as the work progresses, the NHSBSA will increase staff numbers to enable remedy implementation to proceed as quickly as possible.

With reference to (a) the consultation Managing Pavement Parking, published 31 August 2020 and (b) the update on 29 June 2023 that feedback was being evaluated, whether she plans to publish further information on the findings of that consultation.

The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the consultation in 2020 and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. As soon as the Government has decided its preferred way forward, we will announce the next steps and publish our formal response.  In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to manage pavement parking.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of modern dehumidifying technologies can play on tackling damp and mould in the social and private rented housing sectors.

The government has published consolidated guidance for social and private landlords relating to the health impacts of damp and mould and what actions they should consider when responding to reports of it. Whether or not dehumidifiers form part of the way damp and mould is addressed is a decision for landlords to make. However, the guidance is clear that it is the responsibility of landlords to identify the underlying causes of damp and mould, including structural issues or inadequate ventilation, and to find long-term solutions. A range of experts in damp and mould and related areas were engaged with and contributed to the guidance in question which can be found on gov.uk here.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of making tutoring available to children who are temporarily out of school as a result of moving out of area to seek refuge from domestic violence.

Under section 19 of the Education Act 1996, local authorities must arrange suitable full-time education for children of compulsory school age who would not receive suitable education without such provision. This applies whether the child is on the admission register of a school or not and to whatever type of school they attend.It is for the local authority, as commissioner, to determine the type of educational provision that is put in place. However, all placements should be suitable to the child’s age, ability and aptitude, and any special educational needs they may have. Provision should be of good quality and delivered by high quality staff with suitable training, experience and safeguarding checks.Remote education should not be viewed as an equal alternative to face-to-face learning, and as such the department would only expect it to be used as a last resort when the alternative would be no education. In such cases, remote education can have the benefit of allowing children without a school place to keep on track with their education.

What the average length of time was for children fleeing domestic abuse to be allocated a school place in the latest period for which data is available.

Children living in a refuge are, among a number of other categories of vulnerable and hard-to-place children, eligible for consideration under the fair access protocol. Where a child is referred to the protocol, they must be allocated a school place within 20 school days. Where a child has difficulty in securing a school place via the usual in-year admissions processes, fair access protocols exist to ensure that school places can be secured as quickly as possible for vulnerable and hard-to-place children.Each local authority is required to have a fair access protocol in place and all admission authorities are required to participate in it.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a cap on rent increases for those shared ownership properties not purchased from a registered social landlord.

The government requires that all leases for shared ownership properties funded with government grant, regardless of whether the shared ownership provider is a registered social landlord, must include a clause limiting rent increases to a maximum of RPI +0.5% for leases prior to October 2023, or CPI +1% for leases from October 2023.

What information his Department holds on the number of times Capita has made overpayments in relation to (a) tax-free lump sums and (b) regular pension payments for people taking their pension benefits from the Royal Mail Statutory Pensions Scheme following a calculation error in each year since 2018.

Capita, the Royal Mail Statutory Pension Scheme administrator, has made the following overpayments: 2019202020212022202320242025 to 3/3/2025(a)tax-free lump sums497149060(b)regular pension payments3276171378190921 Capita has carried out several data correction exercises which required member benefits to be rectified. These data exercises account for the increased number of overpayments in certain years.The earliest data Capita holds is from March 2019.In terms of support, Capita contacts all impacted members and provides a full update including the reason for the overpayment and the corrective action that will take place. All members are encouraged to contact the Capita team to discuss the error and agree on the appropriate recovery actions. Where possible a repayment timeline will be agreed directly with the member which will consider their personal circumstances and affordability. Members are also guided through the review process that they can follow and are kept informed of any decisions made during this process and the next steps that are available to them.There is a robust process in place to manage the performance of this contract.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 January to Question 25639 on Surrogacy, whether he plans to respond to the Law Commission’s report on surrogacy in this Parliament.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health will be writing to the chairs of the Law Commissions of England and Wales and Scotland shortly, to follow up their meeting on 5 November.

If he will launch a consultation on extending the eligibility for the Elizabeth Emblem medal to people who are left severely injured and medically retired in the course of undertaking eligible public service.

The government recognises the invaluable contribution of emergency service workers to the people of the United Kingdom. Those that lose their lives as a result of their duties are now rightly honoured with the award of the Elizabeth Emblem. There are no current plans to alter the eligibility criteria for the Elizabeth Emblem along the lines suggested. The Government is happy to consider the case for any new medal or award, subject to comprehensive assessment across relevant departments. We continue to recognise the outstanding achievements of emergency service colleagues through both our existing honours and gallantry systems, and we would encourage people to make nominations.