Written questions by MacCleary.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a new European Youth Mobility scheme.

The UK currently operates 13 bilateral Youth Mobility Scheme arrangements, which allow young people aged 18-30 (18-35 for some nationals), to live, work and study in the UK for up to two years, with some nationals eligible to apply for a third year. Each country is subject to an annual quota, based on a yearly review of outbound UK participants of the scheme.The European Commission has not approached the UK to consider a new European Youth Mobility Scheme. We will look at proposals on a range of issues, but we will not return to free movement and our focus is on reducing net migration after it rose to record highs.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of holding discussions with the EU on introducing a UK-EU youth mobility scheme.

The Prime Minister and the president of the European Commission met in Brussels on 2 October and agreed to strengthen the relationship between the EU and the UK, putting it on a more solid, stable footing. We are committed to finding constructive ways to work together and deliver for the British people. We are not going to give a running commentary on negotiations. We will obviously look at EU proposals on a range of issues, but we will not return to freedom of movement.

How many vacancies were advertised in the NHS in each year since 2010.

The Department does not hold the information requested. NHS England publishes a compendium of NHS Vacancy Statistics each quarter. Whilst none of the data published is the exact number of vacancies advertised in the National Health Service, the information does currently provide three measures of the level of vacancies in the NHS. Detailed information on the definition of collected data and the available timeseries, along with the measure’s strengths and weaknesses, is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-vacancies-surveyThe earliest data within this collection is from 2016, and no data is held prior to this period. Due to the complex nature of how NHS vacancy data is defined and collected, all data sources should be treated with a degree of caution.

Innovation and Technology, if he will hold discussions with mobile phone operators on trends in the level of roaming fees since the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

The guarantee of surcharge-free roaming with the EU ceased at the end of the Brexit Transition Period. Against this background, my Department, in close coordination with the Department for Business and Trade, is considering the Government’s approach to the issue of roaming fees for people travelling in Europe to ensure we deliver the best outcomes to promote competition and protect consumers.

Innovation and Technology, what information his Department holds on how much universities received in research and development funding from the EU in each year from 2010 to 2024.

DSIT does not hold this information. That information is held by the European Commission and available on the Horizon Dashboard for the period between 2010 and 2020.The UK associated to Horizon Europe in January 2024, and with a small number of exceptions, UK organisations have not received any funding prior to association. UK participation in Horizon Europe between 2021 and 2023 was funded by the UK Horizon Guarantee, and the funding data is available on the UK Research and Innovation website.As 2024 data becomes available, this will be published via the European Commission’s dashboard.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department has taken to help reduce mobile phone roaming fees for people travelling in Europe since the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

The guarantee of surcharge-free roaming with the EU ceased at the end of the Brexit Transition Period. Against this background, my Department, in close coordination with the Department for Business and Trade, is considering the Government’s approach to the issue of roaming fees for people travelling in Europe to ensure we deliver the best outcomes to promote competition and protect consumers.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the EU's Entry/Exit System on UK travellers.

The Government engages with the European Commission on a range of border issues, including the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES). The system is expected to increase processing times at Schengen Area border crossing points, and the Government therefore continues to work with EU Member States, industry and operators to understand the possible impacts and support their plans to mitigate disruption for travellers and businesses. To support this, I have been having regular meetings with other HMG Ministers to progress cross-government efforts for EES, including communications to the travelling public. However, implementation of EES is a matter for the EU and EU Member States.

How many EU-born staff were working in the NHS in each year since 2010.

The Department does not collect data on where staff working in the National Health Service were born. However, NHS England publishes quarterly data on the number of staff split by nationality in NHS trusts and other core organisations in England. The following table shows the number of staff working in the NHS in England with nationalities from the European Union, each September from 2010 until June 2024, the most recent data point available:DateHeadcount of staffSeptember 201030,032September 201132,259September 201234,418September 201338,334September 201445,066September 201552,808September 201659,796September 201761,974September 201863,484September 201965,741September 202068,919September 202170,056September 202271,174September 202374,969June 202477,289All staff within NHS trusts and commissioning bodies provide a self-reported nationality which is recorded on the Electronic Staff Record system. This may reflect an individual’s cultural heritage rather than their country of birth, with some individuals choosing not to specify it.

Innovation and Technology, how much the UK received through the Horizon Europe programme in each year from 2010 to 2024; and what estimate he has made of that figure after the implementation of Framework Programme 10.

Horizon Europe runs from 2021 to 2027. Data on UK receipts from the Framework Programmes between 2010 and 2020 is available via the EU’s Horizon Dashboard.The UK associated to Horizon Europe in January 2024, and with a small number of exceptions, UK organisations have not received any funding from prior to association. UK participation between 2021 and 2023 was funded by the UK Guarantee, and the funding data is available on the UK Research and Innovation website. As 2024 data becomes available, this will be published via the Dashboard.Framework Programme 10 is still being developed by the EU.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support people who let short-term furnished holiday properties.

We are introducing a registration scheme for short-term lets in England. Our aim is to reap the benefits of a thriving tourist economy whilst protecting the spirit and fabric of communities, including by giving local authorities valuable data on short-term lets in their area to help address housing impacts through the scheme.The registration scheme will work to create a level playing field across the guest accommodations sector and ensure short-term lets are set to the same standards as more traditional accommodations such as hotels and B&Bs.The scheme will support operators of short-term lets by boosting the reputation of England’s guest accommodation sector and attracting more visitors by giving visible assurance we have a high-quality, safe guest accommodation offer.

What discussions she has had with HSBC on pension clawback policy; and if she will make representations to HSBC on reviewing that policy.

No discussions on this subject have taken place with HSBC. The design of a pension offered as part of an employer’s reward package is a matter for that employer, provided that it meets the relevant legal requirements.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of giving local councils compulsory purchase powers for stalled development sites with planning permission.

Local authorities already have various compulsory purchase powers to acquire and develop land which could include stalled development sites with planning permission. The Government is keen for authorities to make greater use of their compulsory purchase powers to support the regeneration and growth of their areas where appropriate, provided there is a compelling case in the public interest. To assist local authorities in using their powers, this Government has recently published updated guidance on the compulsory purchase process reforms introduced by the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023. This can be found at here.

How many teachers are currently employed by colleges; and what proportion of those have been included in the 5.5% pay increase.

Information on the further education (FE) workforce, including numbers of teaching staff employed in the sector, is published in the ‘Further education workforce’ statistical publication, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-workforce.For the 2022/23 academic year, the total number of teaching staff in general FE colleges, including tertiary and sixth form colleges in England, is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/2c50762e-50c3-4b6f-a8da-08dce6ed00e6.The government does not set or recommend pay in FE. The pay and conditions of FE staff remains the responsibility of individual colleges and providers, who are free to implement pay arrangements in line with their local needs.My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a budget on 30 October to be followed by a multi-year spending review in the spring of next year. Decisions about future post-16 funding and capital programmes will be subject to the outcomes of these fiscal events.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation to require landlords to work with councils to bring decontaminated land back into use.

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that substantial weight should be given to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements in planning policies and decisions, and that opportunities should be taken to remediate despoiled, degraded, derelict, contaminated or unstable land.As part of our recent consultation on reforms to the Framework, we set out proposals to broaden the existing definition of brownfield land, set a strengthened expectation that applications on brownfield land will be approved, and make clear that plans should promote an uplift in density in urban areas. On 22 September we published a ‘brownfield passport’ policy paper inviting views on how we might further prioritise and fast-track building on previously used urban land.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of raising the level of Penalty Charge Notices on the number of parking offenders outside London.

We have no current plans to raise the PCN levels. It is important to strike the right balance between deterrence and fairness on this issue.

If he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the availability of cycling infrastructure on employment levels.

Investment in cycling is crucial to supporting the economy, with recent evidence indicating that 3.6%, or over a million people, usually cycle to work and contributes about £5.4 billion to the British economy annually, with £4.1 billion resulting from reductions in mortality, pollution and congestion. The average benefit-cost ratio for Active Travel Fund 4 estimated that for every £1 of investment in active travel infrastructure schemes, there would be a return £2.40 of economic, social, and environmental benefits. Building on this evidence, Active Travel England is delivering a national active travel evaluation that will seek to include a proportionate assessment of the impact of active travel investment on employment.