Written questions by Timothy.

How many referrals to dementia specialists were made in England in each year since 2010 by local authority.

This data is not held centrally. While counts of patients who have received a dementia assessment and subsequently been referred to a memory clinic have been collected since the 2016/17 reporting year, the figures are not provided at an integrated care board level and are also not aggregated by local authority. This data captures the number of patients who have received such a referral, and does not capture the following:the total number of referrals, as one patient may have more than one referral to a memory clinic, but they will only be included in the count once;referrals made to memory clinics where the referral is not made following a dementia assessment recorded by the general practice; andreferrals made to specialists where they are not via a memory clinic.Data from 2016 to 2022 can be found in the recorded dementia diagnoses publication, at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/recorded-dementia-diagnosesIn addition, data from 2022 to 2025 can be found in the recorded dementia diagnoses publication: Primary care dementia data publication, at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/primary-care-dementia-dataThe counts available in the March publication of each year will provide the number of referrals made within that reporting year.

How many dementia specialists there were in England in each year since 2010 by Integrated Care Board.

We do not hold this information centrally. Dementia care involves multiple specialties. We hold data by profession rather than by specific skills or areas of knowledge.

Whether the performance of Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) advisors will be measured against specific metrics set by her department.

The performance of regional improvement for standards and excellence advisers will be measured against agreed Programme-level Key Performance Indicators.

If she will publish risk assessments presented by West Midlands Police to the Safety Advisory Group on the fixture at Villa Park on 6 November 2025.

The police are operationally independent of Government. Officials routinely engage with operational partners to support public safety and effective policing.The Home Office does not publish operational intelligence or risk assessments produced by police forces or overseas law enforcement agencies. Doing so could compromise public safety, ongoing investigations, and relationships with international partners.I am aware that the Honourable Member has, since tabling these questions, placed in the public domain reports by the West Midlands Police inputting into the local Safety Advisory Group, and the Netherlands Inspectorate of Justice and Security.I also gave evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 1 December on this issue which is available at: 1 December 2025 - Football Policing - Oral evidence - Committees - UK Parliament

What is the average waiting time for a dementia diagnosis since 2010 in England, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) year.

This information is not held centrally.We remain committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate (DDR) to the national ambition of 66.7%. The DDR for patients aged 65 years old and over at the end of October 2025 was 66.5%. The rate is an increase of 0.2 percentage points compared to 66.3% in September 2025. This is an overall increase from March 2020 due to sustained recovery efforts.To support recovery of the dementia diagnosis rates and implementation of the Dementia Care Pathway, we have developed a memory service dashboard for management information purposes. The aim is to support commissioners and providers with appropriate data and enable targeted support where needed.To reduce variation in diagnosis rates, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Dementia Intelligence Network has developed a tool for local systems, which includes an assessment of population characteristics such as rurality and socio-economic deprivation. This enables systems to investigate local variation in diagnosis and take informed action to enhance their diagnosis rates. The tool has been released and is available via the NHS Futures Collaboration platform.

What discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have had with trust chief executives on the (i) recruitment and (ii) role of regional improvement for standards and excellence advisors.

Regional improvement for standards excellence (RISE) teams have already paired over 350 schools with RISE advisers and supporting organisations, including some of our strongest trusts with a record of turning around struggling schools, to share expertise and boost standards.Departmental officials engaged with trust chief executives during the autumn 2024 term, ahead of launching recruitment for RISE advisers in November. The department also sought views from key stakeholder groups, including representative bodies and unions.

What discussions took place between (a) ministers and (b) officials in her Department and (i) West Midlands Police and (ii) Birmingham City Council regarding (A) intelligence information received from Dutch authorities and (B) risk assessments presented to the Safety Advisory Group.

The police are operationally independent of Government. Officials routinely engage with operational partners to support public safety and effective policing.The Home Office does not publish operational intelligence or risk assessments produced by police forces or overseas law enforcement agencies. Doing so could compromise public safety, ongoing investigations, and relationships with international partners.I am aware that the Honourable Member has, since tabling these questions, placed in the public domain reports by the West Midlands Police inputting into the local Safety Advisory Group, and the Netherlands Inspectorate of Justice and Security.I also gave evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 1 December on this issue which is available at: 1 December 2025 - Football Policing - Oral evidence - Committees - UK Parliament

If her Department will publish all intelligence information received by West Midlands Police from the Dutch authorities regarding the Amsterdam riots in November 2024.

The police are operationally independent of Government. Officials routinely engage with operational partners to support public safety and effective policing.The Home Office does not publish operational intelligence or risk assessments produced by police forces or overseas law enforcement agencies. Doing so could compromise public safety, ongoing investigations, and relationships with international partners.I am aware that the Honourable Member has, since tabling these questions, placed in the public domain reports by the West Midlands Police inputting into the local Safety Advisory Group, and the Netherlands Inspectorate of Justice and Security.I also gave evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 1 December on this issue which is available at: 1 December 2025 - Football Policing - Oral evidence - Committees - UK Parliament

What is the average waiting time for a dementia diagnosis since 2010 in England, broken down by (a) Integrated Care Board and (b) year.

This information is not held centrally.We remain committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate (DDR) to the national ambition of 66.7%. The DDR for patients aged 65 years old and over at the end of October 2025 was 66.5%. The rate is an increase of 0.2 percentage points compared to 66.3% in September 2025. This is an overall increase from March 2020 due to sustained recovery efforts.To support recovery of the dementia diagnosis rates and implementation of the Dementia Care Pathway, we have developed a memory service dashboard for management information purposes. The aim is to support commissioners and providers with appropriate data and enable targeted support where needed.To reduce variation in diagnosis rates, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Dementia Intelligence Network has developed a tool for local systems, which includes an assessment of population characteristics such as rurality and socio-economic deprivation. This enables systems to investigate local variation in diagnosis and take informed action to enhance their diagnosis rates. The tool has been released and is available via the NHS Futures Collaboration platform.

When she plans to announce the (a) membership of and (b) terms of reference for the regional improvement for standards and excellence stakeholder group.

Regional improvement for standards excellence (RISE) teams have already paired over 350 schools with RISE advisers and supporting organisations, including some of our strongest trusts with a record of turning around struggling schools, to share expertise and boost standards. The department intends to publish the terms of reference, which include membership of the regional improvement for standards and excellence Operations Working Group on GOV.UK following its first meeting in December 2025.

Which funding source is being used to provide the (a) daily stipend and (b) other expenses for regional improvement for standards and excellence advisors.

Regional improvement for standards excellence (RISE) teams have already paired over 350 schools with RISE advisers and supporting organisations, including some of our strongest trusts with a record of turning around struggling schools, to share expertise and boost standards. The RISE Adviser budget forms part of Regions Group's resource departmental expenditure limit programme budget.

What the (a) duration and (b) terms and conditions of contracts are for regional improvement for standards and excellence advisors.

Regional improvement for standards excellence (RISE) teams have already paired over 350 schools with RISE advisers and supporting organisations, including some of our strongest trusts with a record of turning around struggling schools, to share expertise and boost standards.All current regional improvement for standards and excellence advisers’ contracts come to an end 30 April 2027. Advisers are employed via secondment agreement or via Public Sector Resourcing, using standard terms and conditions.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78992, how much meat was processed by each slaughterhouse using the (a) halal and (b) shechita methods in each year since 2020.

Data regarding the amount of meat resulting from animals slaughtered using the halal method or the shechita method is not collected.

Whether he plans to include targets to improve the diagnosis times for myeloma in the forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England.

Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan, which will be published in the new year. It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including myeloma and other blood cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes.To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancers earlier and treating it faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.

What the average processing time was for work visas for social care staff since July 2024.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics,and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose ofanswering this question at disproportionate cost.However, it should be noted that those applying under the Health and Care Visabenefit from faster in-country processing times; are exempt from paying theImmigration Health Surcharge (IHS) and pay a lower fee for visas.

Media and Sport, whether she has made a recent assessment of the merits of (a) television licensing and (b) the BBC Charter.

The current BBC Royal Charter is due to expire on 31 December 2027.As the media landscape undergoes the next generational shift, the BBC too must adapt and be supported to do so. This Charter Review is a key opportunity to set the BBC up for success long into the future. It will consider a range of issues, including how the BBC can continue to prosper supported by a sustainable funding model.

What steps his Department taking to increase domestic recruitment of social care staff.

English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs, and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care.However, the Government recognises the scale of the reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth, and to improve the recruitment of the domestic workforce.That is why we plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding, to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce. This won’t just improve pay for some of the lowest paid workers in our economy but will also drive critical improvements in recruitment and retention in the sector.Ensuring staff have the skills and training needed to work in social care is also essential, both to attract people to join and remain in the workforce, and for the provision of high-quality care and support. That is why we have developed the Care Workforce Pathway, the first national career framework for adult social care, and we are investing £12 million in learning and development through the Learning and Development Support Scheme, to enable eligible staff to complete eligible courses and qualifications.We have also launched the 2025/26 adult social care recruitment campaign, which is running throughout October and January with advertising appearing on television, social media, radio, and online, showcasing authentic moments in care careers and driving people with the right skills and values to apply for paid vacancies in the sector.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the maximum residency period for UK citizens in the EU from 90 days to 180 days.

HMG officials and Ministers, including myself, regularly engage EU and EU Member State counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals. The EU allows for travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period; this is standard for third countries travelling visa-free to the EU. UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with European Union counterparts on the residency rights of UK citizens in the EU.

Residency in the EU is primarily a matter for individual Member States, but ministers and officials frequently engage with a range of Member State counterparts to advocate for the rights and interests of British citizens living and working across the EU.

What steps his department is taking for suicide prevention training for (a) police officers, (b) paramedics, (c) firefighters and (d) other emergency responders.

Significant work is underway to strengthen the quality and consistency of training across the system.NHS England published ‘Staying safe from suicide: Best practice guidance for safety assessment, formulation and management’ to support the Government’s work to reduce suicide and improve mental health services. The guidance requires all mental health practitioners to align their practice to the latest evidence in suicide prevention, and is available at the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/publication/staying-safe-from-suicide.The NHS England Medium Term Planning Framework states that in 2026/27, all integrated care boards must ensure mental health practitioners across all providers undertake training and deliver care in line with the ‘Staying safe from suicide’ guidance.