Written questions by Naish.

Whether she will confirm that the current exemption from English language requirements for applicants aged 65 and over will be maintained for those applying for indefinite leave to remain.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. The Immigration White Paper included a commitment to consult on these changes. The changes involve significant reforms to the settlement pathway, and it is right that we consult to assess their impact on affected groups. In the case of children, it is acknowledged that many of the requirements in the earned settlement mode– such as the mandatory earnings requirement or meeting an income threshold – cannot be met by those who may still be children at the point that their parents become eligible for settlement. At the same time, however, the introduction of an earned settlement system with a longer baseline qualifying period does bring into focus whether and how those who turn 18 during their parents’ qualifying period should be brought within earned settlement principles and be expected to qualify for settlement in their own right. The consultation questionnaire therefore includes questions seeking views on how dependants should be accommodated within an earned settlement system, and whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement. Details of the final earned settlement scheme will be finalised once the consultation has closed and the responses analysed.The government’s response to the consultation will be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

Communities and Local Government, if he will take legislative steps to amend the Mobile Homes (Site Licensing) (England) Regulations 2014 to (a) require local authorities to review site licences and site licence conditions at regular intervals and (b) take representations from residents into account during those reviews.

Local authorities have extensive enforcement powers to take action against site owners who breach their site licence conditions. Local authorities can change the conditions attached to a site licence at any time, and may choose to consult residents on the licence conditions being proposed. The government has published guidance for local authorities on site licensing duties. Concerns about conditions on a site should be raised with the local authority. If those concerns are not addressed, a formal complaint should be made through the authority’s complaints process and can be taken further, where appropriate, through the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to improve consistency of local authority enforcement of park home site licensing and related protections for residents.

Local authorities have extensive enforcement powers to take action against site owners who breach their site licence conditions. Local authorities can change the conditions attached to a site licence at any time, and may choose to consult residents on the licence conditions being proposed. The government has published guidance for local authorities on site licensing duties. Concerns about conditions on a site should be raised with the local authority. If those concerns are not addressed, a formal complaint should be made through the authority’s complaints process and can be taken further, where appropriate, through the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Communities and Local Government, local authorities have had departmental engagement, intervention or support due to concerns about park homes enforcement capacity or performance in each of the last five years.

Local authorities have extensive enforcement powers to take action against site owners who breach their site licence conditions. Local authorities can change the conditions attached to a site licence at any time, and may choose to consult residents on the licence conditions being proposed. The government has published guidance for local authorities on site licensing duties. Concerns about conditions on a site should be raised with the local authority. If those concerns are not addressed, a formal complaint should be made through the authority’s complaints process and can be taken further, where appropriate, through the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the 10 per cent commission on park home resales, including potential interactions with tax receipts and local authority adult social care budgets.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97962 on 15 December 2025.

Communities and Local Government, when the new local plan-making regulations will be introduced.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 November 2025 (HCWS1104).

When the 10-Year Workforce Plan will be published; what discussions he has had with external stakeholders since has taken place since the consultation closed on 7 November 2025.

The Government will publish the 10 Year Workforce Plan in spring 2026.  This plan will set out action to create a National Health Service workforce that is able to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. It is important we do this in a robust and joined up way. We are therefore engaging extensively with partners to ensure this plan delivers for staff and patients.That engagement began well before the call for evidence was closed. In early November, ministers hosted an event with nearly one hundred representatives of partner organisations to hear views from across the health system.Engagement is now continuing while we analyse the submissions to our call for evidence, including a roundtable with medical royal colleges on 14 January that I chaired.

What steps he is taking to prevent universities from withdrawing nursing courses due to employment challenges faced by graduates.

To address graduate employment issues, in August 2025 the Government introduced the Graduate Guarantee.While the Government is committed to ensuring sustainable training pathways for healthcare professions, higher education institutions are independent providers and are responsible for making their own decisions about course delivery and viability based on learner demand and provider capacity.

What steps his Department is taking to align the number of nursing graduates with the availability of entry-level jobs.

On 11 August 2025, the Government announced the Graduate Guarantee for nurses and midwives. The guarantee will ensure that there are enough positions for every newly qualified nurse in England. The package of measures will unlock thousands of jobs and will ensure thousands of new posts are easier to access by removing barriers for National Health Service trusts, creating opportunities for graduates and ensuring a seamless transition from training to employment.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of guidance provided to NHS staff considering partial retirement under the NHS partial retirement scheme in relation to the potential impact on future redundancy entitlements.

Partial retirement does not mean that National Health Service staff are ineligible for redundancy payments. However, taking partial retirement may change the way in which contractual redundancy payments are calculated.The rules concerning the calculation of redundancy payments for National Health Service staff who have previously taken pension benefits are determined in accordance with their contracts of employment, and statutory redundancy entitlements.Redundancy terms for NHS staff on the Agenda for Change contract are set out under section 16 of the NHS Staff Terms and Conditions of Service handbook. This also applies to NHS staff whose redundancy terms refer to section 16. This section states that service used for the purposes of calculating previous pension benefits will not count for the calculation of a contractual redundancy payment. Statutory redundancy entitlements are unaffected.The Department commissions NHS Employers to provide guidance for employers on a range of topics, including NHS redundancy arrangements and retirement options for NHS staff. The NHS Employers guidance clearly sets out the position in relation to partial retirement and redundancy.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure universities and employers are aware of the differences between awarded GCSEs and iGCSEs.

GCSEs are long-standing, credible and well-respected by students, teachers, parents, further and higher education providers, and employers. International GCSEs, which include iGCSEs, are different qualifications. International GCSEs were introduced to serve the large international market for British qualifications and are also offered by some independent schools. Unlike GCSEs, international GCSEs are not regulated by Ofqual or funded for use in state schools. International GCSEs have also not counted in school performance tables since GCSEs were last reformed.In 2019, the department published an analysis of GCSE and international GCSE progress and attainment data, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/comparing-international-gcses-and-gcses-in-england-2018. The publication noted it is difficult to make precise judgements about how standards in these qualifications compare given the clear differences between them.

When Section 16 of the NHS Staff Terms and Conditions (Agenda for Change) handbook was last reviewed in relation to the partial retirement scheme introduced in October 2023; and whether his Department has any plans to update this section to ensure fairness for staff who took partial retirement.

Section 16 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service handbook, also referred to as Agenda for Change, was last updated in 2015. This section sets out the contractual redundancy provisions for staff covered by these terms and conditions and took effect in England from 1 April 2015.We have no current plans to update this section. These provisions were agreed and ratified in partnership by the NHS Staff Council, the collective bargaining structure made up of trade union and employer representatives. Any future changes to the handbook, including this section, would require the Department to issue a mandate to allow negotiations to be undertaken by the NHS Staff Council.

Communities and Local Government, whether minerals local plans will be subject to new local plan making regulations.

Minerals and Waste Plans will be subject to new regulations under the new plan making system. The government re-confirmed in December 2025 that the deadline for submission of plans for examination under the current plan-making system is December 2026. While we have urged Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to progress plans as soon as possible, it is for individual LPAs to decide whether their next plan can be submitted under the current plan-making system, or whether it would be more appropriate to progress under the new system.

What assessment his Department has made of the differences between NHS and Civil Service redundancy provisions for staff who have taken partial retirement; and whether his Department has considered aligning NHS provisions with the Civil Service Compensation Scheme where partial retirement does not affect redundancy entitlements.

This specific assessment has not been made. Contractual redundancy provisions for staff covered by the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service handbook, also referred to as Agenda for Change, in England were agreed and ratified in partnership by the NHS Staff Council, the collective bargaining structure made up of trade union and employer representatives. Any future changes to the handbook, including this section, would require the Department to issue a mandate to allow negotiations to be undertaken by the NHS Staff Council.

What steps her Department is taking to improve mental health support and PTSD treatment services for serving and former police officers who have experienced trauma during their careers.

This Government is committed to supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of current and former police officers, and we are working closely with police leaders to ensure this.On 26 January 2026 we set out a comprehensive wellbeing package as part of our White Paper, “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing”. As that sets out, we will mandate overarching national wellbeing standards to ensure that every member of the workforce receives consistent support. We will also strengthen trauma prevention and early intervention, including ensuring protected time for trauma and suicide prevention training, rolling out tools to identify exposure to traumatic incidents, and developing new evidence-based trauma interventions. And we will expand the roll out of the dedicated Mental Health Crisis Line so all officers and staff, former and current, can access mental health support and have committed to its funding long term.We are continuing to provide funding to the National Police Wellbeing Service. The Service  provides evidence-based guidance, advice, tools and resources for forces, which helps Chief Constables in their duty to ensure the wellbeing of their workforce.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Passport Office issues clear instructions for applying for a passport for an adopted foreign national.

All His Majesty’s Passport Office customer guidance is published on GOV.UK. The published guidance includes clear instructions on applying for a passport for an adopted foreign national at the following page: Getting a passport for your child: adopted or fosteredA customer would in the first instance, read Get a passport for your child: Apply for a first child passport, which provides wider instructions on applying for a passport for a child.HM Passport Office guidance is under continuous review in order to ensure it aligns with legislation and reflects the most up to date information.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of whether iGCSEs result in higher grades than GCSEs.

GCSEs are long-standing, credible and well-respected by students, teachers, parents, further and higher education providers, and employers. International GCSEs, which include iGCSEs, are different qualifications. International GCSEs were introduced to serve the large international market for British qualifications and are also offered by some independent schools. Unlike GCSEs, international GCSEs are not regulated by Ofqual or funded for use in state schools. International GCSEs have also not counted in school performance tables since GCSEs were last reformed.In 2019, the department published an analysis of GCSE and international GCSE progress and attainment data, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/comparing-international-gcses-and-gcses-in-england-2018. The publication noted it is difficult to make precise judgements about how standards in these qualifications compare given the clear differences between them.

Whether an Equality Impact Assessment was conducted on the differential treatment of NHS staff who have taken partial retirement under the NHS partial retirement scheme.

There is no National Health Service partial retirement scheme. Partial retirement has existed as an option for some members of the NHS Pension Schemes since 2008. It was extended to members of the 1995 Section of the legacy NHS Pension Scheme in 2023.

On what evidential basis her Department has based its assessment that GCSEs and iGCSEs are comparable qualifications.

GCSEs are long-standing, credible and well-respected by students, teachers, parents, further and higher education providers, and employers. International GCSEs, which include iGCSEs, are different qualifications. International GCSEs were introduced to serve the large international market for British qualifications and are also offered by some independent schools. Unlike GCSEs, international GCSEs are not regulated by Ofqual or funded for use in state schools. International GCSEs have also not counted in school performance tables since GCSEs were last reformed.In 2019, the department published an analysis of GCSE and international GCSE progress and attainment data, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/comparing-international-gcses-and-gcses-in-england-2018. The publication noted it is difficult to make precise judgements about how standards in these qualifications compare given the clear differences between them.

If he will estimate the number of newly-qualified nurses who lose their professional status because they have been unable to secure employment within two years of graduation.

The Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom, and nursing associates in England. It sets the standards that registrants must meet to demonstrate that they are capable of practising safely and effectively.There is no requirement for nurses to be in employment in order to maintain their registration with the NMC. Registrants must pay an annual registration fee and revalidate every three years by submitting a range of evidence demonstrating their skills and adherence to the NMC Code of professional standards and behaviours. They must also demonstrate that they have practised for a minimum of 450 hours over the three year revalidation period.The NMC publishes an annual leavers survey to understand why people leave its permanent register, alongside annual and mid-year registration data reports. The annual and mid-year registration data tables includes a breakdown of leavers by the years since initial registration, which is available at the following link: https://www.nmc.org.uk/about-us/reports-and-accounts/registration-statistics/