Written questions by Naish.

What steps his Department is taking to increase help access to weight loss injections for people with long-term health conditions.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 November 2025 to Question 89687.

What steps her Department is taking to increase training and funding for police firearm licensing authorities.

The College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs Council have developed national training on firearms licensing. The Statutory Guidance on firearms licensing for Chief Officers of Police, most recently revised and strengthened on 5 August 2025, makes it clear that the training is mandatory for all police forces in England and Wales.The Government has taken action to increase the fees for firearms and shotgun licensing applications that are charged by police forces. On 5 February 2025, increased fees came into effect to provide full-cost recovery for firearms licensing applications processed by police forces. The extra income from fees will help police forces to better resource and train their firearms licensing teams. This was the first increase in fees for 10 years since 2015 and we intend to conduct more regular reviews of fees in the future.

When he plans to announce the next phase of the Modern Service Frameworks.

Early priorities for Modern Service Frameworks will include cardiovascular disease, sepsis, severe mental illness and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia. As advised by the National Quality Board, the Government will consider other conditions for future phases of MSFs and has recently announced an MSF on palliative and end-of-life care.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to introduce restrictions on the number of wood burning stoves permitted per residential property; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of multiple wood burning stoves in a single property on neighbouring residents.

We have no plans to introduce restrictions on the number of wood burning stoves permitted per residential property. In the recently published Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 we committed to consult on new measures to cut emissions from domestic combustion.

Whether her Department has considered reclassifying date rape drugs such as flunitrazepam and gamma-hydroxybutyrate as weapons.

Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid (GHB) and Flunitrazepam are controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. GHB, and the related substances Gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL) and 1,4-Butanediol (1,4-BD), were reclassified from Class C to Class B in 2022, in line with advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (‘ACMD’). Flunitrazepam is controlled as a Class C drug in common with other benzodiazepines. Ministers are obliged to consider advice from the ACMD before making to changes to the classification of drugs. The Government has no current plans to reclassify these drugs.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing in vicarious liability for landowners to reduce grouse shooting.

The introduction of new regulation, such as vicarious liability, requires evidence that it will be effective. Vicarious liability occurs where one person can be held liable for the actions of another person. With regards to grouse shooting, this could mean a manager or employer would be held criminally liable for an unlawful act perpetrated by a member of their staff, for example the unlawful killing of birds of prey. Vicarious liability for such acts has been introduced in Scotland but so far there is no compelling evidence to show that its introduction has had a significant deterrent effect on those who persecute wildlife. We will continue to monitor the situation in Scotland to consider whether vicarious liability is a necessary and proportionate approach in tackling wildlife crime in England.

Whether her department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the beginning of the statutory time period of 9.30am nationally during weekdays for concessionary bus pass holders.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age. The ENCTS costs around £795 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as extending the travel times, would need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability. However, local authorities in England have the power to offer concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, including by extending travel times. These are additional local concessions provided and funded by local authorities from local resources. The Government is investing in bus services long-term and has confirmed over £3 billion from 2026/27 to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services over the remainder of the spending review period. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year. The East Midlands Combined Authority will be allocated £65.5 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29, in addition to the £21.7 million they are already receiving this year. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services can be used in whichever way they wish to deliver better services for passengers, including funding discretionary concessions.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of home tuition fee eligibility rules on British citizens who relocated to EU member states while the UK was part of the European Union; and whether she plans to review these rules to account for decisions made whilst the UK was still a member of the EU.

UK nationals and their children living in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, who wish to study in the UK, will be eligible for automatic home fee status and student support for courses starting up to seven years from the end of the transition period.The seven-year period ensures that eligible UK nationals and their children, whose normal place of residence is in the EEA or Switzerland but wish to undertake higher education in England, will still be able to access home fee status and student financial support immediately on their return to the UK during this time.From 1 January 2028, UK nationals and their children must normally have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) for at least three years immediately before the start of their course to qualify for automatic home fee status and student support.

Whether her Department will consider introducing discretionary provisions within home tuition fee eligibility criteria for British nationals living abroad who can demonstrate genuine and ongoing connections to the UK but were unable to relocate prior to their children commencing university.

To qualify for automatic home fee status and higher education student support, students must normally be settled in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for at least three years before their course begins. However, if a student has spent time overseas due to their own or a specified family member’s temporary employment abroad, this does not interrupt their ordinary residence in the UK, providing flexibility for those who have not made a long-term decision to live outside the UK. Decisions on whether a student meets the criteria for home fee status rest with higher education providers, which are independent and autonomous bodies. Student Finance England makes decisions about eligibility for student finance.

What steps her Department is taking to address the difference in home fee status eligibility for siblings who are both British nationals where one child benefits from Withdrawal Agreement protections and another does not due to the timing of their university entry after 2028.

UK nationals and their children living in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, who wish to study in the UK, will be eligible for automatic home fee status and student support for courses starting up to seven years from the end of the transition period.The seven-year period ensures that eligible UK nationals and their children, whose normal place of residence is in the EEA or Switzerland but wish to undertake higher education in England, will still be able to access home fee status and student financial support immediately on their return to the UK during this time.From 1 January 2028, UK nationals and their children must normally have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) for at least three years immediately before the start of their course to qualify for automatic home fee status and student support.

Whether her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of new immigration rules on people who arrived under the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Programme.

In line with our Public Sector Equality Duty, Equality Impact Assessments are undertaken for new policies to ensure that there are no unintended or disproportionate impacts on people with protected characteristics. This includes consideration of nationalities.

Whether his Department has made an estimate of the cost savings from expanding DNA testing in criminal trials.

The Ministry of Justice does not collect or hold data which would link the use of DNA testing, or any other type of evidence produced by the prosecution, with the overall efficiency of criminal trials. Therefore, it is not possible to make an estimate of any cost savings.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential (a) merits of calculating maintenance loans through net rather than gross household income and (b) impact of that change on single parental income households.

Entitlement to partially means-tested undergraduate loans for living costs is based on the income of the student’s household.The income used is the total income on which a person is charged income tax at step 1 of the calculation in Section 23 of the Income Tax Act 2007, before the deductions made by HMRC from step 2 onwards of Section 23.The use of income charged to tax in the household income assessment applies a standard measure of income to calculate a student’s entitlement to living costs support and allows all students to be assessed consistently and fairly. It also ensures that the most support is paid to students from the lowest income families, including those with single parents, who need it most and who are historically under-represented in higher education. It is not intended to be an exact calculation of disposable income for each household.Information on income is available from HMRC and allows around 1.3 million assessments a year to be carried out quickly and efficiently each year by Student Finance England.Maximum grants and loans for living and other costs for the 2025/26 academic year have been increased by forecast inflation, 3.1%, based on the RPIX inflation index.

Pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2024 to UIN 8287, what the status is of the proposed rural design guide; and when that guide will be completed.

Following consultation with stakeholders, Active Travel England’s Rural Design Guidance is currently in its final development stages and is expected to be published by the end of the year.

With reference to Question 8287answered on 16 October 2024, what is the (a) status of the best practice guide to community consultation and engagement and (b) when this guide will be completed.

Following consultation with stakeholders, Active Travel England’s Rural Design Guidance is currently in its final development stages and is expected to be published by the end of the year.

Communities and Local Government, whether the forthcoming Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill will include provisions to (a) regulate the use of estate rentcharges on freehold properties, (b) limit enforcement powers available to estate rentcharge holders under Section 121 of the Law of Property Act 1925 and (c) provide homeowners with a statutory right to vary estate rentcharge deeds to remove disproportionate enforcement mechanisms.

The use of Sections 121 and 122 of the Law of Property Act 1925 to enforce rent arrears is draconian and wholly inappropriate given alternative means for rentcharge arrears are available. We will publish an ambitious draft Leasehold and Commonhold reform Bill before the end of the year.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of changing planning laws to ensure developments with full planning permission are (a) completed on time and (b) not able to exist with minimal work on them.

Local planning authorities (LPAs) already have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, which they can use in instances where development has not taken place in accordance with the relevant planning consent. These enforcement powers include the power to issue a completion notice which requires a developer to complete their development if it is left uncompleted. It is for LPAs themselves to decide how and when they use their powers depending on the circumstances of each case. On 25 May, the government published a Planning Reform Working Paper: Speeding Up Build Out (which can be found on gov.uk here) inviting views on further action the government should take to speed up homes being built. On the same day, we launched a technical consultation on implementing measures to improve the transparency of build rates from new residential development, which includes proposals to implement provisions in Section 113 of the LURA on the power to decline to determine applications. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the government intends bring forward the regulations to implement these measures at the earliest practical opportunity with the new build out reporting framework coming into force from 2026. The consultations closed on 7 July and responses are currently being analysed.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Section 121 of the Law of Property Act 1925 powers on freehold homeowners' ability to sell properties subject to estate rent charges; and whether he has plans to restrict or remove such powers in relation to estate rent charges.

The use of Sections 121 and 122 of the Law of Property Act 1925 to enforce rent arrears is draconian and wholly inappropriate given alternative means for rentcharge arrears are available. We will publish an ambitious draft Leasehold and Commonhold reform Bill before the end of the year.

What steps he is taking to help reduce elective care waiting times (a) in general and (b) for joint replacement surgery.

The Government is committed to putting patients first and tackling waiting lists as part of our Health Mission. We exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million appointments, tests, and operations in our first year of Government, delivering 5.2 million additional appointments between July 2024 and June 2025. This marks a vital first step to delivering on our commitment to return to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029.The Department is taking a range of steps to reduce waiting times for surgery, including joint replacement surgery. There are currently 123 surgical hubs operational across England, and we are committed to expanding the number of hubs over the next three years to increase surgical capacity and deliver faster access to common procedures. Surgical hubs have been shown to deliver approximately 20% increased productivity in the hubs compared to trusts without a dedicated elective hub on site.The Getting it Right First time (GIRFT) programme published detailed guidance for hip and knee replacements in July 2023 and has been supporting trusts through a multidisciplinary team made up of anaesthetic, surgical, and allied health professional colleagues. Additionally, GIRFT is leading a community musculoskeletal programme, supporting improvements in the early stages of the pathway, to ensure that only those patients who require surgery are referred into secondary care, and that their condition is optimised for surgery as far as possible at the point of referral. Further information on the GIRFT programme is available at the following link:https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/

What steps he is taking to increase access to weight loss injections for long-term conditions.

Weight loss injections are currently recommended for use on the National Health Service for the treatment of obesity and/or type 2 diabetes. To be routinely used in the NHS in England, a medicine normally needs a marketing authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) that shows it is safe and efficacious, and then a positive National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) appraisal to show if it is a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources. NICE is currently developing guidance on the use of semaglutide for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and, subject to licensing, liver fibrosis, without cirrhosis, caused by metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.Most recently, NICE recommended semaglutide, brand name Wegovy, and tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, as treatments for obesity, in adults with a high body mass index and at least one weight-related comorbidity such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and/or cardiovascular disease.Until recently, these medicines were only available in specialist weight management services. From 23 June tirzepatide started to become available in primary care. This will help to increase access. Access is being prioritised for those with the highest clinical need first. The NHS will look at different service models including digital and community options and the roll out will be sped up if possible. As set out in the Government’s new 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to expanding access to these medicines and will work closely with industry and local systems to test new models of care and identify innovative ways to do this.