Written questions by Timothy.

What the scope is of Palantir’s involvement in NHS data systems.

In 2023, NHS England awarded the contract for the NHS Federated Data Platform and Associated Services to a consortium led by Palantir Technologies.Access to National Health Service health and social care data within the NHS Federated Data Platform is carefully controlled. Only authorised users are granted access to data for approved purposes. The contract has strict stipulations about confidentiality, and there is governance in place to monitor delivery and usage of the NHS Federated Data Platform. Palantir only operates under the instruction of the NHS when processing data on the platform. Palantir does not control the data in the platform, nor are they permitted to access, use, or share it for their own purposes.Palantir previously provided the COVID-19 Data Platform.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of power outages on mental health (a) service delivery, (b) remote digital therapy and (c) crisis response platforms.

No such assessment has been made. Planning for power outages is a core function of business continuity arrangements for all National Health Service organisations, including mental health providers. NHS England monitors such incidents to identify root causes, solutions, and learning to share across the system.

Whether the NHS has made an assessment of the level of the resilience of digital health records systems to prolonged power outages during electricity system stress events.

In the event of a disruption, the National Health Service maintains business continuity and emergency preparedness arrangements, including fallback systems, and protocols to mitigate the impact on health and patient care.The NHS has long standing measures in place to manage disruption which would be caused by a power outage. Electronic patient record systems usually have a back-up power source, and paper patient records and handwritten notes may also be used as a contingency.All NHS-funded organisations must meet the requirements of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, the NHS Act 2006, and the Health and Care Act 2022. These requirements are also supported by the NHS Standard Contract, the NHS Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPPR) Framework, NHS Core Standards for EPRR, and the NHS England Business Continuity Management Toolkit.

What steps he is taking to improve breastfeeding support in (a) the east of England and (b) England.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and giving every child the best start in life. We know breastfeeding has significant health benefits for babies and for their mothers. Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, we are investing £18.5 million in 2025/26 to improve infant feeding support across 75 local authorities in England, including Bedford, Luton, Norfolk, Peterborough, and Thurrock in the East of England. We have also extended and expanded the National Breastfeeding Helpline so that more families across the United Kingdom can access breastfeeding support 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Most families will be receiving their breastfeeding support from midwives and health visitors. We are committed to strengthening these services and are already making progress.

What assessment his Department has made of the combined potential impact of multiple gas-fired plant retirements on (a) grid stability and (b) inertia levels.

Great Britain has a highly stable and resilient energy system with diverse supplies. The National Energy System Operator (NESO) continuously monitors the electricity system and ensures sufficient inertia and negative and positive reserves to manage large generation or demand losses, including through retirements of gas plant. In the transition to clean power, we are deploying the technologies needed to ensure the energy system remains resilient. In Great Britain, for example, NESO procure alternative technologies such as synchronous condensers and flywheels and use sub-second response services to manage frequency changes and maintain system stability.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to Contracts for Difference liabilities if wholesale electricity prices remain elevated on levels of fiscal risk.

Scaling up homegrown renewables reduces the UK’s exposure to volatile global fossil fuel prices, which protects consumer energy bills against future price shocks. The CfD two-way payment mechanism protects consumers when electricity prices are high, as if the reference price is above the strike price, the generator must pay back the difference.During the energy bill crisis over Winter 22/23, when wholesale electricity prices were higher, the CfD scheme reduced the amount needed to deliver our energy bill support schemes by around £18 per typical household. [1] [1] This estimate is based on DESNZ analysis of the 2022/23 Ofgem price cap and wholesale cost allowance methodology for Q4 2022 and Q1 2023.

Whether contingency planning is in place for potential macroeconomic disruption resulting from prolonged national electricity blackouts.

HM Treasury has a comprehensive framework for assessing and managing potential risks to the economic outlook, including those posed by national power outages. This framework involves systematic monitoring through internal risk monitors, risk governance forums, and collaboration with other government departments such as the Cabinet Office and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.HM Treasury also engages with the Bank of England and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as the financial sector regulators, to ensure the sector is prepared to respond to a range of risks, including national power outages.

How he plans to improve the integration of (a) demand-side response and (b) distributed energy resources to help reduce risks of blackouts in the next five years.

Great Britain has a highly resilient energy network. The National Energy System Operator has all the tools it needs to operate the electricity system reliably and can call on a range of technologies to balance electricity supply and demand, including gas-fired generation and flexible technologies such as batteries and demand side response. The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan sets out measures to increase consumer led flexibility (also known as demand-side response). Further details will be set out in the Clean Flexibility Roadmap that Government committed in the Action Plan to publish this year.

If he will publish a risk register outlining potential system stability risks under Clean Power 2030 decarbonisation scenarios.

There are no current plans to publish a risk register. Great Britain has a highly resilient energy network. The National Energy System Operator has all the tools it needs to operate the electricity system reliably and can call on a range of technologies to balance electricity supply and demand, including gas-fired generation and flexible technologies such as batteries and demand side response.

Whether his Department has participated in cross-Government exercises simulating the potential impact of national blackouts on (a) health services, (b) emergency responders and (c) energy regulators used by healthcare services.

The Department has participated in a cross-Government exercise simulating the potential impacts of national power outages on health services and emergency responders. The Department has been working on the lessons identified from this exercise to improve the resilience of the health and social care sector against the risk of a national power outage. This includes developing response plans and participating in cross-sector exercises.The Government, through the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, works closely with industry to continually improve and maintain the resilience of energy infrastructure, networks, and assets, including those offshore.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of requiring private rental properties to have a C grade on their Energy Performance Certificate by 2030 on (a) landlords and (b) renters.

Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation included proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030, and was accompanied by the Department’s initial consultation-stage impact assessment. The consultation has now closed, and we are currently analysing responses and reviewing evidence on the potential impact of these proposals. Following this, a government response and further impact assessment will be published.

What steps she is taking to allocate revenues from carbon pricing to help increase levels of (a) industrial resilience and (b) innovation in high energy-consuming sectors.

The Government is committed to maintaining an ambitious carbon pricing scheme to ensure that polluters continue to pay for their emissions. The UK’s lead carbon pricing policy is the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).The ETS raised c.£3.5 billion in the 2024-25 financial year, and the funds raised by the scheme are invested in the Government’s spending priorities, including public services and decarbonisation efforts. The Government is also providing support for industrial energy bills as set out in the Industrial Strategy.

If he will take steps to (a) increase and (b) remove the referral cap for Walking With The Wounded’s Head Start psychotherapy service in the East of England.

Part of the allocation from the Department to NHS England includes funding for National Health Service bespoke commissioned services for veterans such as Op COURAGE. Whilst there has been no assessment of the funding provided for Op COURAGE services across England, the funding received by Op COURAGE in the East of England is based on historic demand for veterans’ mental health services in that region.The Head Start Psychotherapy service is not funded by the Department, as it is part of a formal sub-contractual arrangement between Op COURAGE in the East of England and Walking with the Wounded. As such, any referral cap would be agreed between Op COURAGE and Walking with the Wounded.NHS England meets with the regional providers of Op COURAGE on a regular basis to review the service, including reviewing the time waited for treatment. NHS England discusses the overall performance of Op COURAGE with providers to ensure that the service, including those elements delivered by partners such as Walking with the Wounded, is meeting the needs of veterans.

What steps is he taking to reduce waiting times for access to (a) Walking With The Wounded’s Head Start psychotherapy service and (b) OpCourage in the East of England.

Part of the allocation from the Department to NHS England includes funding for National Health Service bespoke commissioned services for veterans such as Op COURAGE. Whilst there has been no assessment of the funding provided for Op COURAGE services across England, the funding received by Op COURAGE in the East of England is based on historic demand for veterans’ mental health services in that region.The Head Start Psychotherapy service is not funded by the Department, as it is part of a formal sub-contractual arrangement between Op COURAGE in the East of England and Walking with the Wounded. As such, any referral cap would be agreed between Op COURAGE and Walking with the Wounded.NHS England meets with the regional providers of Op COURAGE on a regular basis to review the service, including reviewing the time waited for treatment. NHS England discusses the overall performance of Op COURAGE with providers to ensure that the service, including those elements delivered by partners such as Walking with the Wounded, is meeting the needs of veterans.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the funding provided by his Department for (a) Walking with the Wounded’s Head Start psychotherapy service and (b) OpCourage in the East of England.

Part of the allocation from the Department to NHS England includes funding for National Health Service bespoke commissioned services for veterans such as Op COURAGE. Whilst there has been no assessment of the funding provided for Op COURAGE services across England, the funding received by Op COURAGE in the East of England is based on historic demand for veterans’ mental health services in that region.The Head Start Psychotherapy service is not funded by the Department, as it is part of a formal sub-contractual arrangement between Op COURAGE in the East of England and Walking with the Wounded. As such, any referral cap would be agreed between Op COURAGE and Walking with the Wounded.NHS England meets with the regional providers of Op COURAGE on a regular basis to review the service, including reviewing the time waited for treatment. NHS England discusses the overall performance of Op COURAGE with providers to ensure that the service, including those elements delivered by partners such as Walking with the Wounded, is meeting the needs of veterans.

What information his Department holds on (a) what components used in the power grid were manufactured by Chinese companies and (b) whether (i) Chinese companies and (ii) the Chinese state can (A) access data from and (B) control those components remotely.

The protection and security of the energy sector is a priority of this Government. HMRC publishes the value and mass of electrical machinery, equipment and parts imported, by country, on its data portal at www.uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/ots-custom-table/. Foreign investment in critical national infrastructure undergoes the highest levels of scrutiny, and the government has powers to protect energy infrastructure and critical services through a broad range of mitigations, including legislative and regulatory powers. DESNZ works closely with industry and other government departments to maintain a detailed picture of ownership and foreign involvement in energy infrastructure

How many immigration officials have been dismissed for committing (a) immigration and (b) bribery offences in each year since 2020, broken down by nationality.

Since 1 January 2020 there have been four immigration officials successfully prosecuted for bribery and immigration offences following a Home Office investigation. Three of these officials were prosecuted for Immigration offences. One was prosecuted for Bribery and Immigration offences. Two individuals were dismissed, one resigned and the final staff member’s contract ended. Three of these were British and one was French.In the ten proceeding years, there were 27 prosecutions for immigration, and one for bribery.

What information her Department holds on the number of immigration officials that have been successfully prosecuted for committing (a) immigration and (b) bribery offences since 2020, broken down by nationality.

Since 1 January 2020 there have been four immigration officials successfully prosecuted for bribery and immigration offences following a Home Office investigation. Three of these officials were prosecuted for Immigration offences. One was prosecuted for Bribery and Immigration offences. Two individuals were dismissed, one resigned and the final staff member’s contract ended. Three of these were British and one was French.In the ten proceeding years, there were 27 prosecutions for immigration, and one for bribery.

On what basis Serco can refuse to inform Members of Parliament when (a) houses, (b) hotels and (c) other premises are being used for asylum dispersal in their constituency.

The Home Office routinely engages local officials and elected members as part of the procurement process for specific types of accommodation, to enable us to gather local intelligence which informs our decision making. This engagement and disclosure is undertaken on a case by case basis as is necessary.The Home Office publishes details of numbers of supported asylum seekers by local authority on a quarterly basis. This can be found here - Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK - Asy_D11 tab. Any requests relating to the disclosure of information beyond that which is already published, is reviewed on a case by case basis to ensure that it is lawful, proportional and necessary.

Whether his Department is reviewing the security arrangements at (a) RAF Lakenheath, (b) RAF Mildenhall and (c) other domestic military bases, in the context of the attack on RAF Brize Norton.

Immediate measures were put in place following the incident at RAF Brize Norton to enhance existing security arrangements and increase vigilance at all Defence sites, and we have also engaged with the US Visiting Forces. You will appreciate that we will not comment on the specifics of those arrangements. We have also directed a full review of security arrangements across all Defence sites and will continue to liaise with our US colleagues accordingly.