Written questions by Anderson.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of foreign nationals claiming Universal Credit on levels of public funds.

The Department takes into account migration trends and benefit entitlement conditions when producing twice-yearly benefit expenditure and caseload forecasts as part of the fiscal event process, but these forecasts do not break down expenditure by nationality. These were last updated in 23 April 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/benefit-expenditure-tables

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of trends in the number of foreign nationals claiming Universal Credit on future (a) public spending and (b) taxation.

The Department takes into account migration trends and benefit entitlement conditions when producing twice-yearly benefit expenditure and caseload forecasts as part of the fiscal event process, but these forecasts do not break down expenditure by nationality. These were last updated in 23 April 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/benefit-expenditure-tables

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information they hold on the number of workdays that were completed remotely in their Department in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date.

The Department does not centrally record the number of remote workdays completed. However, building occupancy data is published monthly by the Cabinet Office and provides an indicative measure of office attendance across government departments. The latest figures are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data/monthly-average-hq-building-occupancy.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which countries were the top 5 recipients of international climate finance from the UK in each of the last 3 years; and how much each of these countries received.

For detail on live programme information please refer to the UK Government's Development Tracker or for the official source of information on UK Official Development Assistance spend covering previous calendar years, the Statistics on International Development publication.

Communities and Local Government, what information they hold on the number of workdays that were completed remotely in their Department in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date.

This information is not held centrally and can only be collated at a disproportionate cost to the department.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2025 to Question 67468 on Diseases: Undocumented Migrants, what the cost to the public purse was for initial health assessments for irregular migrants in each of the last five years.

The Department and NHS England do not hold the information requested.The Department, NHS England and UK Health Security Agency officials are supporting the Home Office and regional and local health partners to support delivery of reforms to the asylum system, including to accommodation for asylum seekers. The Department’s role focuses on addressing the health needs of asylum seekers, protecting local services, and addressing the transmission risks for infectious diseases.

Whether her Department holds data on the number of people who were (a) referred to the Prevent programme for an initial assessment and (b) did not live in the UK (i) 3 and (ii) 5 years ago in the latest period for which data is available.

Prevent aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It works to ensure that people who are susceptible to radicalisation are offered appropriate interventions and support, and that communities are protected against radicalising influences.The Home Office produces annual statistics on GOV.UK and provides official statistics on the number of individuals recorded as having been referred to and supported through the Prevent programme in England and Wales, from 1 April to 31 March each year which can be found here: Individuals referred to and supported through the Prevent Programme statistics - GOV.UK.

What steps his Department is taking to help support pubs.

The Government recognises the vital role pubs play in supporting local economies and fostering community cohesion, as well as the pressures they face.That is why we established the Licensing Taskforce in April, bringing together representatives from the hospitality sector to help shape reforms. We published the Government’s response on 31 July, setting out a new National Licensing Policy Framework to simplify outdated rules and protect long-standing venues from noise complaints. These reforms form part of the recently announced Small Business Strategy, which aims to tackle late payments, boost access to finance, and remove red tape to enable small businesses, including pubs, grow and thrive.Additionally, we’re creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street and supports investment, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties under £500,000 rateable value. We’ve also launched a Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects aligned with DBT and Hospitality Sector Council priorities such as Pub is The Hub to encourage local investment.

Communities and Local Government, if she will publish data on the number of foreign nationals residing in the UK and living in social housing.

Housing is a devolved matter, with each of the four nations of the UK developing their own policies and data collections to monitor the impact of them. The English Housing Survey published by my Department, which can be found on gov.uk here, shows that there were 431,000 households whose lead tenant was a non-UK national living in social housing in England in 2023/24. This represents 10.4% of all households living in social housing in England at that time (4.1 million households). It is important to note that such households can contain UK nationals as well as non-UK national lead tenants.

What data her Department holds on the proportion of foreign nationals claiming Universal Credit who are exempt from the habitual residence test.

This information is not readily available and to identify, collate and provide it would incur disproportionate cost. British and foreign nationals who are fleeing persecution and humanitarian crises overseas are exempt from the normal requirement to be habitually resident so that they can access support quickly on arrival. Those who stay in the UK are likely to meet the requirement one to three months later, without the aid of an exemption. People covered by the exemptions at the time they claim must still meet all the other eligibility criteria before they can receive Universal Credit, including being in Great Britain and, if they are a foreign national, having an immigration status that permits access to public funds.

Innovation and Technology, what information they hold on the number of workdays that were completed remotely in their Department in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date.

Hybrid working is an informal, discretionary, non-contractual arrangement that enables employees to work partly in the workplace and partly at home. Employees are expected to spend a minimum of 40% of their working hours in the office. Office attendance requirements are managed locally to ensure the minimum requirement is met, and no central data is held on this.

How many people will become eligible for indefinite leave to remain in the next five years.

Eligibility for indefinite leave to remain is assessed upon application, by individual caseworkers, and as such, there are no fixed estimates of the number of individuals who will become eligible at any point.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria his Department uses when selecting recipients for international climate finance.

International Climate Finance is spent in countries according to their vulnerability to climate change, ability to fund their own adaptation, and high emissions or high future emissions pathways where climate mitigation, poverty reduction, and development co-benefits potential are greatest.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to review his Department's policies on distributing foreign aid to Pakistan.

We continuously examine all levers at our disposal to deliver for UK interests overseas, including foreign aid. We are currently reviewing allocations to all countries as part of the UK Government's move to reduce aid spending to 0.3 per cent of gross national income by 2027. Pakistan is an indispensable partner in keeping the UK safe from terror threats and organised crime, and some of the technical assistance we provide through UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) is integral to these efforts.

Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to introduce a universal digital ID card.

The Government is committed to making the state more efficient and easier to interact with through harnessing technology. We want to learn from countries who have digitised government services for the benefit of their citizens.We are looking at whether a new digital ID could help tackle illegal immigration, transform public services, and bring benefits to people’s everyday lives. No firm decision, estimate or assessment has yet been made.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to review his Department's policies on distributing foreign aid to Afghanistan.

We are working through detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29. We plan to publish indicative allocations for the next three years in the coming months. This will provide the predictability our teams need to effectively manage the transition to 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI).UK aid to Afghanistan is subject to strict monitoring and verification to ensure it is only used to help those in need. All funding is provided directly to implementing partners who are highly experienced at delivering in difficult circumstances. We do not give aid to the Taliban.

Innovation and Technology, if he will hold a consultation on the introduction of a digital ID system; and if she will publish the results.

The Government is committed to making the state more efficient and easier to interact with through harnessing technology. We want to learn from countries who have digitised government services for the benefit of their citizens.We are looking at whether a new digital ID could help tackle illegal immigration, transform public services, and bring benefits to people’s everyday lives. No firm decision, estimate or assessment has yet been made.

Media and Sport, what information they hold on the number of workdays that were completed remotely in their Department in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date.

We do not collect data on the number of workdays that were completed remotely.Our London headquarters office occupancy is monitored via anonymised entry pass swipe data and is published on gov.uk on a monthly basis starting October 2024, and to date is as follows:Oct-24Nov-24Dec-24Jan-25Feb-25Mar-25Apr-25May-25Jun-2573%71%59%76%78%71%69%72%62%

Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government is taking to reduce animal testing in the UK.

I refer the hon. Member for Ashfield to the answer of 12th May 2025 to Question 49421.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much the UK has spent in (a) foreign aid or (b) international development funding on projects on improving equality, diversity and inclusion overseas in the last two years.

Data on Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend is available in the Statistics on International Development publications, which are available for 2023 and provisionally for 2024. Data is available broken down by sector for the 2023 publication, including social sector spending on health and education, and humanitarian aid.Further information on specific programmes, including those with a specific focus on equalities, can be found on GOV.UK's Development Tracker.