Written questions by Jarvis.

Whether she plans to introduce indefinite leave to remain for Ukrainians living in the UK.

I refer the Honourable Member to my answer given on 1 May to PQ UIN 47468.

Whether she plans to introduce additional safety requirements for (a) temporary events and (b) fan zones to protect pedestrians from vehicle access.

Homeland Security Group (HSG) works closely with the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), who provide publicly available technical and practical advice relating to Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM). This includes the 'NPSA Public Realm Design Guide for Hostile Vehicle Mitigation' document, available publicly at npsa.gov.uk.Additionally, the National Counter Terrorism Security Office provides support to local authorities and businesses through the ProtectUK platform (protectuk.police.uk) and networks like the UK-wide Counter Terrorism Security Advisor network, supporting the development of suitable mitigation measures to protect from vehicle incursions.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of existing measures to prevent vehicles from entering areas with high pedestrian footfall.

Homeland Security Group (HSG) works closely with the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), who provide publicly available technical and practical advice relating to Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM). This includes the 'NPSA Public Realm Design Guide for Hostile Vehicle Mitigation' document, available publicly at npsa.gov.uk.Additionally, the National Counter Terrorism Security Office provides support to local authorities and businesses through the ProtectUK platform (protectuk.police.uk) and networks like the UK-wide Counter Terrorism Security Advisor network, supporting the development of suitable mitigation measures to protect from vehicle incursions.

What steps she is taking to improve pedestrian safety in areas of high footfall from potential vehicle incursions.

Homeland Security Group (HSG) works closely with the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), who provide publicly available technical and practical advice relating to Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM). This includes the 'NPSA Public Realm Design Guide for Hostile Vehicle Mitigation' document, available publicly at npsa.gov.uk.Additionally, the National Counter Terrorism Security Office provides support to local authorities and businesses through the ProtectUK platform (protectuk.police.uk) and networks like the UK-wide Counter Terrorism Security Advisor network, supporting the development of suitable mitigation measures to protect from vehicle incursions.

What steps his Department is taking to improve early diagnosis of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

The Government recognises that foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) can have a significant impact on the early years of development for children. As a result, it is crucial to diagnose FASD as early as possible. As part of the prevention efforts around FASD, the Department promotes a precautionary approach by advising that the safest option during pregnancy is to avoid alcohol altogether.The Department asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to produce a quality standard in England for FASD, to help the health care system improve both diagnosis and support for individuals affects by FASD. This was published in March 2022 and is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs204Healthcare providers continue to advise pregnant women about the risks of alcohol consumption, document alcohol use, and refer children with probable prenatal alcohol exposure for assessment.

Whether her Department plans to (a) collect and (b) publish annual statistics on the number of animals bred for scientific purposes but not used in scientific procedures.

The Home Office is presently reviewing the collection and publication of additional statistics on animals that were bred but not used in scientific procedures.

Whether the NHS plans to fund abiraterone for patients with high-risk non-metastatic prostate cancer.

The Department has had no such discussions. Abiraterone does not have a marketing authorisation for use in the treatment of high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer and has not been evaluated for that indication by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The NICE makes recommendations for the National Health Service in England on the vast majority of new and significant licence indications, but does not evaluate medicines that are used outside their marketing authorisations or “off-label”.NHS England considered abiraterone as an off-label treatment for the treatment of hormone sensitive, non-metastatic prostate cancer through its clinical policy development process in 2024/25. Through this process NHS England confirmed that there was sufficient supporting evidence to support the routine commissioning of abiraterone in this indication, but it has not been possible to identify the necessary recurrent funding to support the commissioning of abiraterone for this purpose, or any other treatments within the prioritisation round. Should the funding position change and a further prioritisation round take place, abiraterone for the treatment of hormone sensitive, non-metastatic prostate cancer will be reconsidered.

What steps he is taking to monitor levels of disguised employment in the hair and beauty sector.

This Government recognises the immense economic and social value of the hair and beauty industry, and we know it can be difficult for some to understand their tax obligations. We are working with the industry on producing educational material to help businesses remain within the rules, including providing clarity for those using the ‘rent-a-chair’ model which we are due to publish on GOV.UK this month.We are committed to tackling false self-employment where HMRC will investigate evidence suggesting businesses have misclassified individuals for tax purposes. We are also combatting high street crime, for example the National Crime Agency has been coordinating Operation Machinize, which saw 265 premises visited where officers secured freezing orders over bank accounts totalling more than £1 million.

If she will take steps to (a) mandate allergy safety policies in all schools, (b) ensure the provision of individual healthcare plans for every child with an allergy, (c) mandate staff training on (i) allergy awareness, (ii) anaphylaxis management and (iii) responding to emergencies involving allergies in schools and (d) mandate the provision of emergency adrenaline auto-injectors in every school.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. The accompanying statutory guidance on ‘Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school’ makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions, including allergies. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions and have policies and processes in place to ensure these can be well managed. Policies should set out how staff will be supported in carrying out their role to support pupils, including how training needs are assessed and how training is commissioned and provided. Any member of school staff providing support to a pupil with medical needs should have received suitable training.The statutory guidance recommends the use of individual healthcare plans as good practice for pupils with medical conditions, providing clarity about what needs to be done, when and by whom.Schools can purchase spare adrenaline auto-injectors from a pharmacy without a prescription and for use in an emergency situation.

What steps he is taking to provide diagnostic training for GPs to recognise the symptoms of hyperemesis gravidarum.

We recognise that hyperemesis gravidarum is a debilitating condition that can have a devastating impact on women and their families.The standard of medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), which is an independent statutory body. The GMC has the general function of promoting high standards of education and co-ordinating all stages of education to ensure that medical students and newly qualified doctors are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for professional practice.The curriculum for general practice (GP) specialty training is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), and must meet the standards set by the GMC and be formally approved by them. The curriculum emphasises the skills and approaches a GP must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients. This is assessed by the Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners Examination. The RCGP GP training curriculum includes “emesis” as a symptom of concern during pregnancy.Qualified GPs are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date, and for identifying learning needs across their whole scope of practice, as part of their continuing professional development and professional evaluation by the GMC.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to improve access to investment and funding for video game developers in the UK.

The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector as part of the upcoming creative industries sector plan, having identified the creative industries as one of eight priority sectors in the industrial strategy. We recognise the challenges faced by the video games sector, and the wider creative industries, when it comes to accessing finance. These challenges are outlined in the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre 2024 report on Growth Finance for the Creative Industries. To address these issues at an early stage, the Government has announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26, which will provide grants to early-stage studios across the UK to develop prototypes and new intellectual property, and run development programmes for new graduates. Previous independent evaluation found that UKGF programmes served a well-established and identifiable gap within the sector – the provision of early stage funding and support to companies and teams seeking to develop video games. DCMS has commissioned a further independent evaluation of the UKGF which will be published in due course. Additionally, video games companies can benefit from Video Games Expenditure Credit, the UK Global Screen Fund, and access support from the Create Growth Programme. In January 2025 we announced that the British Business Bank will increase its support for the creative industries, including video games, as an area of high growth potential as part of the Industrial Strategy. Further detail will be set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, to be published in the coming months.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential barriers to accessible finance faced by video game developers.

The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector as part of the upcoming creative industries sector plan, having identified the creative industries as one of eight priority sectors in the industrial strategy. We recognise the challenges faced by the video games sector, and the wider creative industries, when it comes to accessing finance. These challenges are outlined in the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre 2024 report on Growth Finance for the Creative Industries. To address these issues at an early stage, the Government has announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26, which will provide grants to early-stage studios across the UK to develop prototypes and new intellectual property, and run development programmes for new graduates. Previous independent evaluation found that UKGF programmes served a well-established and identifiable gap within the sector – the provision of early stage funding and support to companies and teams seeking to develop video games. DCMS has commissioned a further independent evaluation of the UKGF which will be published in due course. Additionally, video games companies can benefit from Video Games Expenditure Credit, the UK Global Screen Fund, and access support from the Create Growth Programme. In January 2025 we announced that the British Business Bank will increase its support for the creative industries, including video games, as an area of high growth potential as part of the Industrial Strategy. Further detail will be set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, to be published in the coming months.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure proactive management of medicine shortages.

There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines and the overwhelming majority are in good supply. Where supply issues do arise, we know how frustrating and distressing these can be for patients, and we work closely with industry, the National Health Service, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to resolve the issues as quickly as possible, to ensure patients can access the medicines they need.Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues.While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, and use of Serious Shortage Protocols. In addition, we will issue communications to the NHS which provides management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.The resilience of UK supply chains is a key priority, and we are committed to helping to build long term supply chain resilience for medicines. We are continually learning and seeking to improve the way we work to both manage and help prevent supply issues and avoid shortages. The Department, working closely with NHS England, is taking forward a range of actions to improve our ability to mitigate and manage shortages and to strengthen our resilience.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the UK Games Fund in supporting the (a) long-term growth and (b) global competitiveness of the UK video game industry.

The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector as part of the upcoming creative industries sector plan, having identified the creative industries as one of eight priority sectors in the industrial strategy. We recognise the challenges faced by the video games sector, and the wider creative industries, when it comes to accessing finance. These challenges are outlined in the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre 2024 report on Growth Finance for the Creative Industries. To address these issues at an early stage, the Government has announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26, which will provide grants to early-stage studios across the UK to develop prototypes and new intellectual property, and run development programmes for new graduates. Previous independent evaluation found that UKGF programmes served a well-established and identifiable gap within the sector – the provision of early stage funding and support to companies and teams seeking to develop video games. DCMS has commissioned a further independent evaluation of the UKGF which will be published in due course. Additionally, video games companies can benefit from Video Games Expenditure Credit, the UK Global Screen Fund, and access support from the Create Growth Programme. In January 2025 we announced that the British Business Bank will increase its support for the creative industries, including video games, as an area of high growth potential as part of the Industrial Strategy. Further detail will be set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, to be published in the coming months.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in energy bills on consumers.

We recognise that bills going up will be worrying news for families. The reason for the increase to the price cap is due to an increase in wholesale energy costs which are influenced by international energy markets which we cannot control. This is why our Clean Power 2030 Mission is so vital. In the short term, we are extending support to ballplayers through the expanded Warm Home Discount, and we are working with Ofgem to accelerate work on a potential energy debt scheme.

What steps she is taking to help ensure all schools have the recommended allergy safeguards in place.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. The accompanying statutory guidance makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions, including allergies.

Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to introduce transparency obligations on generative AI developers to disclose information on creative works used in AI training.

The Government’s consultation on copyright and AI, which closed on 25 February, specifically sought views on a proposal to require AI model developers to be more transparent about how they obtain and use copyright works in their training.Our priority now is to review the evidence from the consultation which will inform the Government response, including any legislative proposals.

Whether people receiving disability benefits for Ménière's disease will be exempt from her proposed reforms to the benefits system.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper set out a broad package of reforms to health and disability benefits and employment support. The functional impact and severity of a condition can significantly vary across individuals, so we are not planning for specific conditions to be exempt from the changes. Our reforms will ensure the most vulnerable and severely disabled people are protected, while supporting those who can work to do so. As such, the eligibility changes to PIP will not affect those who are unable to complete activities at all, and for new claimants on the Universal Credit health element after April 2026, we are proposing that those with the most severe, life-long health conditions will see their incomes protected.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to visa rules for dependants of Master's students on international student recruitment.

There are many factors that influence international students when they choose to study abroad. These include the range and quality of available courses, the visa rules that apply in countries they are considering, and the appeal of living and studying in those countries.Several changes were made to the immigration system in 2024, restricting international students from bringing family members with them to the UK unless they are studying a PhD, doctorate or research-based higher degree. These restrictions will be continued, as confirmed by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department in early February, in line with the government’s commitment to manage migration carefully.This government has made clear its overall approach to international students. We will continue to welcome international students who enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and become global ambassadors for the UK.

What the average waiting time for driving tests is in Eastleigh constituency.

The table below shows the average waiting time in weeks for driving test centres that serve customers living in the Eastleigh constituency, as of 21 April 2025. Driving test centre (DTC)Average car practical driving test waiting time (21 April 25)Southampton (Maybush)24Winchester24 The current national average for driving tests as of March 2025 is 21.7 weeks.