Written questions by Stafford.

If she will publish data on welfare claimants by (a) nationality and (b) immigration status.

Non-UK / Irish citizens can only access benefits like Universal Credit if they have an immigration status that provides recourse to public funds. Those without immigration status or with a no recourse to public funds condition on their status are not entitled. An individual’s specific nationality is not relevant to their claim. The Department checks immigration status when assessing eligibility, but this information is not collated centrally and hence not readily available. We are, however, exploring the feasibility of developing suitable statistics related to the immigration status of non-UK / Irish customers.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that halal products are clearly marked on food labelling.

There are no regulations that require the labelling of halal meat, but where any information of this nature is provided it must be accurate and must not be misleading to the consumer. The Government respects religious freedoms and expects the industry, whether food producer or food outlet, to provide consumers with all the information they need to make informed choices.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of sourcing military uniforms from China.

Tenders to supply items of military clothing are conducted in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, which ensure best value for the taxpayer in the delivery of Defence requirements. Through the Logistics Commodities and Services Transformation contract with Leidos Europe Limited, Defence Equipment & Support procures approximately 16,000 different clothing items, plus a further 1,300 supporting ceremonial accoutrements such as cuirasses and sabres that form a part of ceremonial uniforms. Uniforms are not purchased fully assembled but rather as individual items.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of raising the bus cap to £3 on pensioners.

Those of state pension age, currently sixty-six, have access to free off-peak bus travel under the terms of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of ground rent costs on the ability of long-term leaseholders to sell their leased properties.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the agreement with Mauritius on the British Indian Ocean Territory on global security.

The base on Diego Garcia is critical to national and international security. It has enabled the UK, the US, and our allies and partners to combat some of the most challenging threats to global peace and security, including those from terrorism, organised crime, and wider instability.Following this agreement, for the first time in over 50 years, the base will be undisputed and legally secure, able to operate to its full strategic capability without risk of challenge. The Agreement will mean that the UK and US will continue to operate the base well into the next century with strong protections from malign influence.

With reference to the oral contribution by the Minister for Border Security and Asylum to the Urgent Question on Asylum Seekers: Hotel Accommodation of 20 November 2024, Official Report, column 279, whether she plans to publish statistics that include reference to the 10,000 returns in the last period.

The statistic that I referred to in the question referenced an ad-hoc statistical release published by the Home Office on 4 November containing data on enforced and voluntary returns between 5 July and 28 October 2024, which can be accessed here: Returns from the UK between July and October 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of ground rent costs on the ability of long-term leaseholders to sell their leased properties.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).

If he will exclude (a) BGI Group, (b) MGI Tech and (c) other state-linked genomics companies blacklisted by the United States from public sector health bodies.

The Government continues to review the evolving national security risks in the life sciences sector, including engaging with partners and allies, while ensuring that the United Kingdom is at the forefront of innovation.The Procurement Act will come into force in 2025 and will include a Debarment Review Service, which aims to safeguard public procurement from suppliers deemed to pose a risk. As with all national security risks, there will be engagement with colleagues across Cabinet and Parliament to ensure we maintain a robust approach to managing these risks as they evolve.

Whether he has had discussions with (a) Cabinet colleagues, (b) Genomics England, (c) UK Biobank and (d) NIHR BioResource on (i) BGI Group, (ii) MGI Tech and (iii) other state-linked genomics companies blacklisted by the USA.

Through the delivery of the UK Biological Security Strategy, the Government is committed to ensuring the United Kingdom is resilient to a spectrum of biological threats, as well as being a world leader in innovation. As part of this strategy, the Government is undertaking a programme of work to assess how we can minimise the risks from biological data to protect our burgeoning bioeconomy and build confidence in sharing personal data, to improve health outcomes in the UK and across the world.Department officials are working closely with UK Biobank, Genomics England, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research Bioresource on this programme of work, and there will be continued engagement with my Cabinet colleagues.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help protect the integrity of global research from authoritarian regimes.

The Government wants the UK research sector to engage with all international partners, in a way that takes account of specific national security concerns, is compliant with the UK’s security policies and regulations, and protects the integrity of global research. As part of my department's proactive engagement with the research sector, the Research Collaboration Advice Team (RCAT) provides tailored advice to universities on managing national security risks in international collaboration. The Government also offers published guidance through the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and National Protective Security Authority's (NPSA) Trusted Research.

What assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of reports that Springer Nature has restricted access to academic articles in China on (a) human rights, (b) democracy and (c) other politically sensitive topics.

This government is absolutely committed to, and will continue to protect, academic freedom.The department recognises the concerns of overseas interference in the academic sector and regularly works with colleagues from across government, the Office for Students, and other stakeholders to ensure that overseas influence does not interfere with academic freedom and related policies.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2024 to Question 10930 on Audiology: Paediatrics, how many children have been (a) recalled for reassessment and (b) needed onward referral to clinical services following the review by the NHS England National Paediatric Hearing Improvement Programme.

The Department does not hold this information.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2024 to Question 10931 on Audiology: Paediatrics, what recent assessment his Department has made of whether all providers of audiology services for children will meet the UK Accreditation Services Improving Quality in Physiological Services Accreditation standards; and whether his Department has set a date by which they must do so.

NHS England issued a letter to all integrated care boards (ICBs) in August 2023 which included the recommendation that all trusts should be working towards the United Kingdom Accreditation Service’s (UKAS) Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS) accreditation, as part of the Paediatric Hearing Services Improvement Programme. This includes that ICBs should ensure that there are plans in place to implement, achieve, or maintain accreditation using the available tools, and that there is oversight of quality management systems. Further information on NHS England’s issued letter is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/paediatric-hearing-services-improvement-programme-system-recommendations-for-immediate-action/As part of the programme, NHS England is working with the Care Quality Commission to increase uptake of the UKAS’s IQIPS accreditation and ensure compliance with national diagnostic regulatory standards, alongside a range of other interventions to improve the quality and resilience of these services.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of a 25 pence per week increase for state pension claimants.

No such assessment has been made. We are absolutely committed, through the Triple Lock, to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. This means that from April 2025, subject to Parliamentary approval, the basic and new State Pensions will be increased by 4.1%. The full yearly basic State Pension will increase by around £360, and the full yearly rate of the new State Pension will increase by around £470.

Whether her Department taking steps to prevent (a) members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and (b) others involved in violent incidents against Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan from entering the UK.

The Home Office does not comment on individual cases. The Immigration Rules provide for the refusal of entry clearance, permission to enter and permission to stay on general grounds, regardless of the category in which an individual makes an application. A person will usually be refused on general grounds if there is any evidence in their background, immigration history, criminal records or past behaviour which shows that they should not be allowed to enter or stay in the UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to encourage Forestry England to introducing disabled parking spaces in the Bourne Woods car park, Surrey.

Parking in the nation’s forests is an operational matter for Forestry England. Forestry England values accessibility for all visitors. It is not currently able to mark out designated spaces for disabled parking in some forests due to the location of these car parks within woodland environments and the unsuitability of the surfaces. This includes for Bourne Woods, Surrey. Forestry England is looking at alternative options to address this issue and will be trialling potential approaches across its car parks nationally.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential (a) merits of removing students from council tax and (b) impact of removing students from council tax on routine (i) services and (ii) maintenance.

Full-time students are generally disregarded for council tax purposes. Where all residents of a dwelling are disregarded, due to being full-time students, the dwelling will be exempt from council tax. Additionally, where a hall of residence is provided predominantly for the accommodation of students it will also be exempt for council tax purposes.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for the UK's diplomatic relationship with India of reports of India holding talks on a strategic partnership with Russia.

HMG recognises India's longstanding relationship with Russia. We regularly raise Russia's illegal war in Ukraine with the Government of India. The Foreign Secretary did so most recently with India's External Affairs Minister in September. More broadly, the UK and India are close bilateral partners, and we are exploring ways to enhance our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. When he visited India in July, the Foreign Secretary discussed with Prime Minster Modi, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and NSA Doval how we might strengthen the UK-India relationship for economic growth as well as improve cooperation on defence, technology, climate and education.

How many paediatric audiology departments there are in England; and how many of those meet the UK Accreditation Services Improving Quality in Physiological Services Accreditation standards.

There are 140 providers of audiology services for children in England. Currently, 30 providers meet the UK Accreditation Services Improving Quality in Physiological Services Accreditation standards. Two providers are pending re-instatement of accreditation, and a further 16 have applied for accreditation.