Written questions by Anderson.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help tackle the root causes of antisemitism.

Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our society, which is why we’re taking a strong lead in tackling it in all its forms. Police recorded 2,873 antisemitic hate crimes in 2024–25, accounting for 29% of all religious hate crimes. We work closely with partners to ensure the safety and security of Jewish communities. The Community Security Trust has been allocated £28 million in 2025/26 through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant. This includes additional emergency funding of £10 million. On 17 December we published a summary of recent Government action on Antisemitism - Antisemitism: recent government actions and next steps - GOV.UK

Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with (a) police forces and (b) Jewish community leaders about trends in levels of antisemitism.

Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our society, which is why we’re taking a strong lead in tackling it in all its forms. Police recorded 2,873 antisemitic hate crimes in 2024–25, accounting for 29% of all religious hate crimes. We work closely with partners to ensure the safety and security of Jewish communities. The Community Security Trust has been allocated £28 million in 2025/26 through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant. This includes additional emergency funding of £10 million. On 17 December we published a summary of recent Government action on Antisemitism - Antisemitism: recent government actions and next steps - GOV.UK

to ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of trends in the level of antisemitism on the Jewish community.

Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our society, which is why we’re taking a strong lead in tackling it in all its forms. Police recorded 2,873 antisemitic hate crimes in 2024–25, accounting for 29% of all religious hate crimes. We work closely with partners to ensure the safety and security of Jewish communities. The Community Security Trust has been allocated £28 million in 2025/26 through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant. This includes additional emergency funding of £10 million. On 17 December we published a summary of recent Government action on Antisemitism - Antisemitism: recent government actions and next steps - GOV.UK

What recent assessment she has made of trends in levels of Islamic extremism in the UK.

The UK’s counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, provides a comprehensive framework for tackling all forms of terrorism and is kept under constant review to ensure our approach remains fit for purpose in response to emerging risks and challenges.As outlined in the publication of the most recent iteration of CONTEST, in July 2023, the primary domestic terrorist threat comes from Islamist terrorism, which accounts for about three quarters of MI5 caseload.The threat we see today and in the coming years is more diverse, dynamic and complex. This includes a domestic threat which is less predictable and harder to detect. This is combined with an evolving threat from Islamist terrorist groups overseas, and an operating environment where accelerating advances in technology provide both opportunity and risk to our counter-terrorism efforts.

What steps she is taking to (a) identify and (b) detain Islamic extremists.

This Government takes extremism seriously. We are committed to ensuring we have the required tools and powers to counter the activities of extremists. This includes challenging extremist narratives by taking a more muscular approach to identifying and watchlisting extremists, and ensuring dangerous overseas hate preachers and extremists are unable to enter the UK to spread their divisive rhetoric.Islamist extremism continues to be one of the biggest threats we face and is at the heart of our approach to countering extremism and terrorism. We focus on the individuals, groups and environments, online and offline, which foster and enable hatred, and those who reject the fundamental values of our society and whose purpose is to divide and to terrify communities. These extremists must be challenged, and where their activities fall foul of our laws on hate speech, on public order, or on terrorism they will rightly be investigated and prosecuted.The UK has one of the most robust counter-terrorism frameworks in the world which is deliberately widely drawn to capture the ever-diversifying nature of the terrorist threat that we face. This includes a wide range of terrorist offences and specialised powers for the police and Security Service to investigate and disrupt terrorist activity, support prosecution, and manage terrorist offenders, where activity meets appropriate thresholds. It is a matter for the operationally independent Police, Crown Prosecution Service and courts to decide if a crime has been committed.

How many people have been convicted of spiking in each of the last five years.

Incidents of spiking may be prosecuted under various criminal offences. These offences encompass a broad spectrum of criminal behaviours, not all of which constitute spiking.The Ministry of Justice does not currently collate statistics which show the number of individuals who are charged and subsequently prosecuted and convicted of offences which relate to incidents of spiking. The Government is, however, considering options to improve the way spiking crimes are recorded and collated with the aim of capturing better data to help advise preventative strategies for spiking where needed.

With reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution during Prime Minister's Questions on 10 December 2025, Official Report, col 306, how many of the 5 million additional NHS appointments have taken place.

We exceeded our pledge to provide an extra two million tests, operations, and other appointments during the first year of Government, as an additional 5.2 million appointments were provided between July 2024 and June 2025.The 5.2 million figure refers to secondary care appointments undertaken within elective care and, importantly, it only includes those that have taken place. It does not include appointments that were cancelled by the patient or provider.Data published on the 5.2 million additional appointments delivered can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/recovery-of-elective_activity-mi/

How much money is allocated to providing illegal migrants with (a) dental and (b) health care.

The Department and NHS England do not hold the information requested. The overall management of asylum seekers including provision of health and dental health care is a matter for the Home Office.All asylum seeker accommodation providers have a duty and requirement to assist people who need it to access healthcare.

How many migrant hotels have been closed in the last year.

At its peak under the previous government, around 400 hotels were used to accommodate asylum seekers – costing £9 million per day. That figure is now under 200 - the government remains committed no longer using hotels to accommodate asylum seekers by the end of this Parliament.Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, and by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK

What steps his Department is taking to ensure veterans are not (a) homeless and (b) rough sleeping.

This Government is fully committed to ensuring that all veterans across the UK have access to the support they need on housing. That is why we have committed an additional £12 million to ensure the continuation of the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme. Op FORTITUDE will also be extended, putting the service that has already supported over 1,000 veterans on a sustainable footing. These programmes will deliver three years of support services across the UK for veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness. On 11 December 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published A National Plan to End Homelessness. The Ministry of Defence contributed to this strategy including committing to ensuring that all councils are aware of service provision in their area to support veterans at risk of homelessness.

What recent steps her Department has taken to close migrant hotels.

At its peak under the previous government, around 400 hotels were used to accommodate asylum seekers – costing £9 million per day. That figure is now under 200 - the government remains committed no longer using hotels to accommodate asylum seekers by the end of this Parliament.Hotel closures are prioritised based on a wide range of criteria. The hotel exit plan will continue to be carefully managed to ensure that all supported asylum seekers are accommodated in suitable alternative accommodation, including large sites, elsewhere in the estate.

What discussions he has had with businesses on ensuring customers can contact them on the telephone and not just by email.

Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, businesses are obligated to provide contact information in a clear and comprehensible manner which is easily, directly and permanently accessible. This includes the business name, the geographical address where the business is established, a telephone number, and email address.The specific mechanisms businesses use to provide customer services is a commercial decision that the government does not normally seek to intervene in.While there is no record of a specific discussion on this matter, the Department engages regularly with businesses on consumer law.

What steps she is taking to support pubs with increases in their business rates bills.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. Without our support, pubs would have faced a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. Because of the support we’ve put in place, this has fallen to just 4%. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, while ensuring that warehouses used by online giants will pay more. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since COVID. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure people with visual impairments can access necessary home adaptations.

The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is there to enable all eligible disabled people, including those with visual impairments, to access vital home adaptations, subject to a needs assessment and means test. This Government has increased funding for the DFG by £86 million, bringing the total to £711 million per year in 2025-26.

What steps his Department is taking to improve access to (a) emotional support and (b) mental health services for people living with a visual impairment.

We recognise that people with mental health issues, including those people living with a visual impairment, are not getting the support or care they need, which is why we are working to ensure the National Health Service provides the right support to the right people at the right time. At the Spending Review, we confirmed that we will deliver on our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers by the end of this Parliament, roll out mental health support teams to cover all schools in England by 2029/30, and expand NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support schemes. We have also already started piloting Neighbourhood Mental Health Centres. These pilots aim to provide open access care for anyone with a severe mental illness 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our aim is to have one Neighbourhood Health Centre in each community that brings together NHS, local authority, and voluntary sector services into one building to help create a holistic offer that meets the needs of local populations, including those living with a visual impairment.

What steps she is taking to improve accessibility of public transport for visually impaired people.

This government is committed to improving transport public services, so they are more inclusive and enable people with visual impairments to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all. Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. Through the Act, we are helping authorities to provide safer and more accessible bus stations and stops and mandating more streamlined disability training for bus drivers and frontline staff. We are also requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan. The government recognises the concerns which have been raised about floating bus stops. On 20 November I wrote to all local traffic authorities in England requesting that they put on hold designs which require people to board or alight directly from or into a cycle track. The Act requires the Secretary of State to publish statutory guidance on their provision and design within three months of Royal Assent, drafting of which is underway. We are also continuing the implementation of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations (AIR), which will require audible and visible destination and next stop information on board most local bus services by October 2026. Ensuring the rail network is also accessible is at the heart of our passenger-focused approach to improving rail services. We are committed to improving the experience for disabled passengers and that is why we have published a roadmap to an accessible railway. It sets out what we are doing now to improve the day-to-day travelling experience for disabled passengers in the lead up to Great British Railways being established. We have installed platform edge tactile paving at every station in England with the final station in Scotland due to be complete next month. The final Welsh station, currently closed for refurbishment, will have them installed when it reopens in April. We are also committed to developing an Accessible Travel Charter. The Charter is a commitment to a shared vision for accessible travel. It will set out what disabled travellers can expect from their journeys, share best practice across organisations and create consistency in end-to-end journeys for disabled travellers.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of vision rehabilitation in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) the UK.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have the duty to shape their care market and to commission a range of high-quality, sustainable, and person-centred care and support services to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes encouraging a wide range of service provision to ensure that people, including those with sight loss, have a choice of appropriate services and equipment that maximise independence.Although the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is not currently required to assess vision rehabilitation services, as regulated activities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, sensory services, including vision rehabilitation, do form part of the CQC’s overall assessment of local authorities’ delivery of adult social care.CQC assessments identify local authorities’ strengths and areas for development, in their delivery of their duties under part 1 of the Care Act. This facilitates the sharing of good practice and helps us to target support where it is most needed. It may be helpful to know that the CQC will report on sensory services when there is something important to highlight, for example, something being done well, innovative practice, or an area for improvement. Reports are published on the CQC’s website, available at the following link:https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reportsIn England, we continue to fund the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) which is administered by local authorities. This grant helps eligible older and disabled people, including those with a vision impairment, to adapt their homes to make them safe and suitable for their needs. Practical changes include installing stairlifts, level-access showers, and ramps.We have provided an additional £172 million over two years to uplift the DFG, which could provide approximately 15,000 extra home adaptations to give people more independence in their homes. This brings total funding for the DFG to £711 million in both 2024/25 and 2025/26.

What steps his Department is taking to help support visually impaired people to live independently.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have the duty to shape their care market and to commission a range of high-quality, sustainable, and person-centred care and support services to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes encouraging a wide range of service provision to ensure that people, including those with sight loss, have a choice of appropriate services and equipment that maximise independence.Although the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is not currently required to assess vision rehabilitation services, as regulated activities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, sensory services, including vision rehabilitation, do form part of the CQC’s overall assessment of local authorities’ delivery of adult social care.CQC assessments identify local authorities’ strengths and areas for development, in their delivery of their duties under part 1 of the Care Act. This facilitates the sharing of good practice and helps us to target support where it is most needed. It may be helpful to know that the CQC will report on sensory services when there is something important to highlight, for example, something being done well, innovative practice, or an area for improvement. Reports are published on the CQC’s website, available at the following link:https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reportsIn England, we continue to fund the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) which is administered by local authorities. This grant helps eligible older and disabled people, including those with a vision impairment, to adapt their homes to make them safe and suitable for their needs. Practical changes include installing stairlifts, level-access showers, and ramps.We have provided an additional £172 million over two years to uplift the DFG, which could provide approximately 15,000 extra home adaptations to give people more independence in their homes. This brings total funding for the DFG to £711 million in both 2024/25 and 2025/26.

What steps she is taking to increase the availability of sign language education courses.

There are a variety of British Sign Language (BSL) qualifications available, from Level 1 through to Level 6. This includes Level 1 and 2 accredited qualifications offered by the Institute of British Sign Language, Signature and ABC Awards.There are also funds available for adults who want to learn new skills through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), which fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3. 68% of the ASF is devolved to 13 strategic authorities, including the East Midlands Authority, who are responsible for ASF provision to their residents. The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for the remaining ASF and makes funding available for a range of qualifications including the Level 1 Award in BSL.The government, working with Ofqual, has also developed the content and assessment arrangements for a new BSL GCSE.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase the provision of disability sport in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) the UK.

The Government believes that opportunities to play sport and get physically active should be available to everyone. We are committed to breaking down the barriers that contribute to the persisting inequalities in participation and want to ensure that everyone can experience the physical, mental and social benefits that come with being active. To achieve this, the Government works closely with its Arm's Length Bodies, Sport England and UK Sport, as well as other partners in the sector, to improve access to sports for all. Sport England's ten-year Uniting the Movement strategy reinforces its commitment to increasing participation in sport and physical activity for those from under-represented groups, including disabled people. Sport England has ensured that each of their programmes impact directly on disabled people and those with a long-term health condition, with initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign and partnerships with Disability Rights UK, Activity Alliance, Aspire, and Sense. Sport England also launched a partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People and British Blind Sport in 2021. This involved investing £1 million into the See Sport Differently programme, which has been designed to tackle the biggest barriers that stop blind and partially blind people from getting involved in sport and activity.