Written questions by Davies.

What steps his Department is taking to help prevent fraud by nationwide GP chains.

The Government takes fraud against the National Health Service extremely seriously and we will use every available tool to bring fraudsters to account. A comprehensive three-year Counter Fraud Strategy is in place and a Fraud Risk Assessment has been undertaken for contracted services within general practice, to identify fraud risks so that preventative action can be taken. The NHS Counter Fraud Authority is also in place as a dedicated special health authority tasked with leading the fight against fraud, bribery, and corruption in the NHS in England. Where allegations of fraud are received, they will be thoroughly investigated, and appropriate action will be taken.

What the (a) travel and (b) other costs were of back filling shortfalls in Border Force staff in 2024; and how many (i) posts and (ii) hours of time were backfilled.

There was no shortfall in Border Force staffing against its budgeted headcount in 2024; as such, there were no additional travel nor other costs incurred specifically for backfilling staff, and no posts nor hours required backfilling.Border Force operates a flexible resourcing model, regularly assessing operational needs and deploying staff dynamically in response to passenger volumes and security requirements. Maintaining the security and efficiency of the UK border remains a top priority, and we continue to allocate resources accordingly to ensure the smooth flow of passengers and goods.

How many former seasonal workforce officers were offered permanent positions after their contacts ended prior to 2024; and how many vacancies there were for them in 2024.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 23 July to PQ UIN 68079.

How many officers were contracted in the seasonal workforce within Border Force in 2024.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 23 July to Question 68251.

What the (a) sickness and (b) staff retention rates were of the seasonal workforce in Border force in 2024.

Data on (a) sickness rates for this cohort is not centrally held by the Home Office.As regards (b) retention, at the start of 2024, Home Office was authorised by the Civil Service Commission to recruit on an exceptional basis up to 1000 SWF staff to meet short term needs as required. This cohort was not under general employment by Home Office but could be offered short term employment contracts, which they were free to accept or reject. These contracts specified there was no expectation of extension or offer of a further contract, on expiry of the initial term. Following the Civil Service Commission confirming that authorisation for this form of recruitment would not be extended beyond early 2025, all SWF staff contracts were ended by 31 January 2025.

What the budget was for the seasonal workforce for Border Force in 2024.

The budget for Border Force’s Seasonal Workforce was £9.424m for calendar year 2024.

On how many occasions waiting time targets were exceeded at major points of entry in 2024.

The specific data requested is not available in an accessible format but below are the relevant statistics taken from Border Force’s transparency data.Of the 832,739 queue samples measured across the UK in 2024, 97.55% of queues were within Border Force’s service standards above the 95% target. These service standards are 25 mins EU/EEA and 45 mins non-EU/EEA.https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/682b149302662c6f8ec24411/border-force-transparency-data-q1-2025.ods (tab BF01).

Whether (a) his Department and (b) ICBs have issued guidance to larger GP practices with multiple sites across several ICB areas.

Integrated care boards (ICBs), as commissioners of primary medical services, are responsible for the quality, safety, and performance of services delivered by providers within their areas. Large general practitioner (GP) practices spanning multiple commissioner areas will ordinarily hold individual contracts within each commissioning area they operate in and will therefore be held to account for the quality, safety, and performance of services by the responsible commissioner in each area.The Department does not collect information on all guidance that is issued by ICBs.

How much funding was (a) allocated and (b) spent on railways in Wales between 2010 and 2024 by fiscal period.

The table below shows the UK Government funded expenditure on operations, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of railways in Wales for each financial year, noting that we do not have data for the financial year 2010/2011. Financial Year11/1212/1313/1414/1515/1616/1717/1818/1919/2020/2121/2222/2323/24£million230249318307388508502551460414434521525 Spending on railways in Wales by the Welsh Government, including continuing subsidy for rail services operated by Transport for Wales is not included, nor is payment made by the Department in respect of services that Transport for Wales operates wholly within England.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the electrification of the train line between Uckfield and Hurst Green on economic growth in Sussex.

A Strategic Outline Business Case was developed by Network Rail in 2021 which considered the potential benefits of electrifying the line between Hurst Green and Uckfield. This assessment concluded that the scheme would have positive impacts on train service performance and reliability, together with wider economic benefits. The scheme was paused by the previous government following Spending Review 2021; no development work has taken place since that point.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the electrification of the train line between Uckfield and Hurst Green on passenger service.

A Strategic Outline Business Case was developed by Network Rail in 2021 which considered the potential benefits of electrifying the line between Hurst Green and Uckfield. This assessment concluded that the scheme would have positive impacts on train service performance and reliability, together with wider economic benefits. The scheme was paused by the previous government following Spending Review 2021; no development work has taken place since that point.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the electrification of the train line between Uckfield and Hurst Green on train reliability.

A Strategic Outline Business Case was developed by Network Rail in 2021 which considered the potential benefits of electrifying the line between Hurst Green and Uckfield. This assessment concluded that the scheme would have positive impacts on train service performance and reliability, together with wider economic benefits. The scheme was paused by the previous government following Spending Review 2021; no development work has taken place since that point.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of running the Class 171 diesel fleet of trains on the line between Uckfield and Hurst Green on the environment.

The Secretary of State has not made a specific assessment of the environmental impact of operating diesel trains on the Uckfield branch line.  As the line is not electrified, it is a matter for the operator to ensure that they meet the needs of customers by deploying the appropriate rolling stock to deliver train services while reducing environmental impacts wherever possible.

What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the (a) closure of Oakwood theme park and (b) potential impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions on the (i) hospitality and (ii) tourism sectors in Wales.

I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of matters, including those affecting the Welsh economy.I was saddened to hear about the closure of Oakwood Theme Park. I understand this will be a concerning time for workers at the park and their families.  However, Wales's tourism and hospitality offering continues to be among the best in the world, and both the UK and Welsh Governments are committed to supporting these sectors.Regarding the impact of changes to National Insurance contributions on the sector, the UK Government has protected the smallest businesses by more than doubling the Employment Allowance to £10,500, ensuring over half of small and micro businesses pay less or no national insurance contributions. Small and Medium sized enterprises account for 99.3% of total enterprises in Wales.The UK Government is committed to supporting the Welsh tourism and hospitality sectors. In February, we announced a £15 million investment for Venue Cymru and the Newport Transporter Bridge. These are two key projects that will help boost the tourism and culture sectors in Wales.

Whether she has had discussions with Welsh farmers on changes to inheritance tax.

Yes.

When he plans to remove minimum wage age bands.

The Government is committed to ensuring that every adult worker benefits from a genuine living wage, and we will remove the discriminatory age bands for adults. From April 2025, we are boosting the National Minimum Wage for 18–20-year-olds by 16.3% or £1.40 to £10.00 per hour, a record increase and a significant step towards our commitment.

When he plans to create a single enforcement body to ensure employment rights are upheld.

Creating the Fair Work Agency (FWA) is a complex process that requires primary legislation. The Employment Rights Bill is the first phase of delivering the FWA and implementation will occur in phases following Royal Assent. We will set out more detail on this in due course.

Whether he has carried out a proportionality assessment on clause 16 of the Employment Rights Bill.

The Employment Rights Bill establishes a new day one statutory right for all employees who have experienced the loss of a loved one. The measures in the bill set a framework for the entitlement, and the details will be set out in secondary legislation. The Government has published an Impact Assessment, which covers the impacts on businesses and workers. Due to the sensitive and personal nature of bereavement, we will be consulting stakeholders on the specifics of the entitlement to ensure that Bereavement Leave is sculpted by the needs of employees and employers.

Whether he sought external legal advice when drafting the Employment Rights Bill.

With respect to the Employment Rights Bill, the Department has been supported by legal advice from the Government Legal Department and, where appropriate, external legal advice. Legal advice provided to the Government is privileged.

Whether she plans to issue statutory guidance on improving (a) inclusivity and (b) expertise in mainstream schools.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to improving expertise and enabling high-quality and inclusive practice in mainstream schools. This work forms part of the government’s Opportunity Mission, which will break the unfair link between background and opportunity, starting with giving every child, including those with SEND, the best start in life. This includes building a robust and credible evidence base on what works to drive inclusive education. To support this, an expert advisory group for inclusion has been established, led by Tom Rees, that consist of experts across the SEND sector. This group will advise Ministers on how to drive inclusive practice across the whole system and improve mainstream education outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND. Members of the group will use their collective expertise to ensure children and young people are effectively supported to achieve and thrive. To support the department's ambition to strengthen the evidence base on inclusive practice, we have commissioned evidence reviews to identify the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs. The department will also work with Ofsted to strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise and encourage local authorities and schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.