Written questions by Stafford.

What assessment he has made on the potential impact of solar radiation modification on the environment.

The Government is not in favour of using Solar Radiation Modification. Given the significant uncertainty around the possible risks and impacts of deployment on the climate and environment, the Government is not deploying SRM and has no plans to do so. The Department works closely with the research community to evaluate the latest research on the potential impact of solar radiation modification on the environment.

What steps he is taking to help improve public services in Northern Ireland.

Alongside providing funding for transformative projects through the Public Services Transformation Board, we have strengthened the exchange of best practice to tackle shared challenges together, paving the way for better public service outcomes. The Executive will need to make difficult decisions, and this Government is committed to partnering on our shared goal of improving public services.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of British Steel entering liquidation during or after the period of special measures under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 on creditors; and what mechanisms are available for them to recover outstanding debts.

It would be a breach of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act for British Steel to be put into liquidation while the special measures are in place. Prior to the Act becoming law, the Government undertook assessments of the potential cost to the public purse should British Steel enter insolvency. These assessments would be updated in the unlikely event that liquidation became a serious prospect.Creditors of British Steel whose credit predates the special measures are protected by the security interests they obtained at the time their credit was advanced. Any parties wishing to extend credit to British Steel during the currency of the special measures will need to consider the most suitable arrangements upon which they would be willing to do so. British Steel management and DBT can discuss any such proposals as the need arises.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2025 to Question 46621, whether he has made an estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of British Steel entering liquidation during the period of special measures under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025.

It would be a breach of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act for British Steel to be put into liquidation while the special measures are in place. Prior to the Act becoming law, the Government undertook assessments of the potential cost to the public purse should British Steel enter insolvency. These assessments would be updated in the unlikely event that liquidation became a serious prospect.Creditors of British Steel whose credit predates the special measures are protected by the security interests they obtained at the time their credit was advanced. Any parties wishing to extend credit to British Steel during the currency of the special measures will need to consider the most suitable arrangements upon which they would be willing to do so. British Steel management and DBT can discuss any such proposals as the need arises.

What steps she is taking to ensure that banks apply case-by-case assessments to banking services for (a) crypto asset businesses and (b) their customers; and whether she plans to have discussions with (i) the industry and (ii) regulators on crypto-related banking practices.

The Government recognises that access to banking services is critical for operating a business, and is a matter of concern for certain sectors in particular such as the digital asset industry. The Government continues to engage with the banking sector and affected industries, as well as the regulator, to better understand the existing and emerging issues in this area. The Government also welcomes the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) work to date on the factors leading banks to reject or close bank accounts. Where the FCA has found areas where firms need to improve customer outcomes, the Government expects firms to consider the FCA’s findings and act accordingly.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to the welfare system on people with disabilities.

Some information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published in the evidence pack, impacts analysis and equalities analysis at:[https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper]A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.The proposals have been carefully designed to protect the finances of severely disabled people.There will be no immediate changes. Changes to PIP eligibility and rebalancing of UC aren’t coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from April 2026 for UC and November 2026 for PIP, subject to parliamentary approval.PIP changes will only apply at the next award review after November 2026. The average award review period is about three years. At the award review, claimants will be assessed by a trained assessor or healthcare professional on individual needs and circumstances.We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions, and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result.We also intend to launch a wider review of the PIP assessment which I will lead, and we will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress.

What steps he is taking to raise awareness of restless leg syndrome with (a) GPs and (b) neurologists.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence publishes clinical knowledge summaries (CKS) as a source of information mainly for National Health Service staff working in primary care. The CKS on the diagnosis and clinical management of restless leg syndrome (RLS) was updated in February 2025, and is available at the following link:https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/restless-legs-syndrome/General practitioners (GPs) have a generalist’s knowledge of RLS. GPs utilise the RLS Rating Scale to understand the impact on the patient and then to trial treatments. GPs are supported by neurology referral or specialist Advice and Guidance. This includes 27 specialised neurological treatment centres across the NHS in England, which provide access to neurological multidisciplinary teams to ensure that patients with RLS can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle (a) the use of pro-Hamas slogans, (b) other public displays of support and (c) online displays of support for Hamas.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer that I gave to the Rt Hon Member for Fareham and Waterlooville on 7 May in response to Question 48984.

Whether she has had recent discussions with representatives of Farnborough Airport on levels of pollution.

The monitoring of local air quality is the responsibility of the relevant local authority and noise controls should be set through the planning system. My officials regularly engage with a range stakeholders in the sector.

Whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of increasing the Income Tax threshold for pensioners.

The Personal Allowance - the amount an individual can earn before paying tax - will continue to exceed the basic and full new State Pension this tax year. This means pensioners whose sole income is the full new State Pension or basic State Pension without any increments will not pay any income tax. The previous Government made the decision to freeze the income tax Personal Allowance at its current level of £12,570 until April 2028. This Government is committed to keeping people’s taxes as low as possible while ensuring fiscal responsibility and so, at our first Budget, we decided not to extend the freeze on personal tax thresholds.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of operational changes to Access to Work on disabled people who (a) are self-employed and (b) work in small businesses.

As part of our Plan for Change, and as set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper published in March, we are consulting on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the programme to help more disabled people into work and support employers, ensuring value for money for taxpayers. We will review all aspects of the Scheme following the conclusion of the consultation, and carefully assess the impact of any proposed changes.We encourage people to have their views and voices heard on how they think the programme and the welfare system could be improved.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment on people with severe disabilities.

We are taking action to focus PIP more on those with the greatest needs, by introducing a new eligibility requirement. The change to the PIP eligibility criteria will mean that people with a higher level of functional need – for example, people who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them – still receive PIP.We are also taking action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits as set out in the Green Paper. This includes exploring ways to improve PIP assessments through digitalising transfer of medical information, using evidence from eligibility for other services to reduce the need for people with very severe health conditions to undergo functional assessments and improving communication with people receiving awards who are expected to remain on disability benefits for life. For those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’(opens in a new tab).A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of expansions in clean air zones on levels of costs for road users.

The Government has no plans to expand any of the Clean Air Zones, and therefore no assessment has been made.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) Lecanemab and (b) other new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease are made accessible to eligible patients through the NHS.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service in England on whether new medicines should be routinely funded based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NICE evaluates all new medicines, including medicines for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, and aims to publish guidance for the NHS as close as possible to licensing. The NHS in England is legally required to fund recommended treatments, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.The NICE concluded that the evidence presented so far shows that neither donanemab nor lecanemab provide enough benefit to justify the substantial resources the NHS would need to commit to implement access to them. The NICE has not yet published final guidance on either medicine, and its independent Appraisal Committee will meet on 14 May to consider the responses to its recent consultation.To prepare for the new generation of dementia treatments in development, NHS England is working to ensure the diagnostic and treatment capacity, clinical pathway redesign, and investments are in place to support the adoption of any new licensed and NICE-recommended treatments as soon as possible.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of limiting sponsored workers to 20 hours of secondary employment on migrant workers; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of permitting additional regulated employment to support those workers to meet living costs.

The salary rules we have in place on many sponsored work routes are designed to ensure workers are paid enough from their primary sponsored employment to be able to support themselves without needing to take second jobs.The rules are designed to strike a balance between allowing sponsored workers to take on additional work if they wish, while ensuring the main purpose of their stay in the UK remains the primary sponsored work for which their visas were issued.As well as working their contracted hours sponsored workers can work overtime with their sponsoring employer and can apply to work any number of hours in secondary employment with another licensed sponsor. This arrangement does not count as supplementary employment, therefore they can work as many hours as they agree with their employer, subject to working time regulations.Further people can also undertake up to 20 hours supplementary employment. This was expanded in Spring 2024 to allow people in the Skilled Worker route to do supplementary employment in any eligible occupation instead of it having to be the same occupation or a job on the Shortage Occupation List as used to be the case.

Whether the upcoming 10-Year Plan for the NHS will include specific commitments to improve (a) diagnosis, (b) access to treatment and (c) support for research outcomes for people living with dementia.

The Government wants a society where every person with dementia receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The 10-Year Health Plan will address the challenges diagnosed by Lord Darzi and will set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of complex health and care needs, including people living with dementia. We are carefully considering policies, including those that impact people with dementia, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners, as we develop the plan. In February, I hosted a roundtable discussion where partners shared how dementia, ageing well, and digital inclusion could be reflected in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Whether his Department plans to reinstate a national target for local health systems to improve dementia diagnosis rates in future iterations of the NHS Operational Planning Guidance.

The Government and NHS England remain committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7%.The NHS Operational Planning Guidance is not an exhaustive list of everything the National Health Service does, and the absence of a target does not mean it is not an area of focus. We have yet to take decisions on future iterations of the guidance.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking with (a) broadband network infrastructure providers, (b) local authorities and (c) utility companies to prevent vouchers issued under the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme from expiring before rollout to premises is completed; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of renewing expired vouchers where works are not completed by the required deadline.

Vouchers issued under the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme are valid for 12 months from the date issued. Building Digital UK (BDUK) maintains regular contact with local authorities and broadband suppliers to discuss any issues relating to the delivery of voucher projects, and suppliers can request an extension if they are experiencing delays to their rollout due to third parties, for example as a result of wayleave application and civil works.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the Advertising Standards Authority on tackling misleading advertising by commercial intermediaries offering access to government services.

The Minister for the Cabinet Office has not had any recent discussions with the Advertising Standards Authority specifically relating to this topic.

Whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of (a) third-party organisations and (b) quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations that charge for facilitating access to free government services.

Information on third-party organisations and quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations that charge for facilitating access to services provided free of charge is not held by the Cabinet Office.