Written questions by Bedford.

If his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of stopping out of work benefits for foreign nationals in the UK.

On 20 November the Home Secretary launched a consultation on proposals for a fairer pathway to settlement, the point at which foreign nationals generally gain access to public funds. These plans include doubling the standard qualifying period for settlement from 5 to 10 years, with the opportunity to reduce this period based on their contributions to the UK economy and society and longer periods for those who contribute less. The consultation also covers proposals that benefits might not be available to those who have settled status, reserving them, instead, for those who have earned British citizenship. You can find more details in here: “Restoring Order and Control: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy" and in “Open consultation: Earned settlement”. In conjunction with these reforms, my Department will consult in due course on a change to taxpayer-funded benefits to prioritise access for those who are making an economic contribution to the UK.

What estimate his Department has made of (a) the number of foreign-born families who will claim universal credit or tax credits for more than 2 children and (b) the total cost of this.

No such estimate has been made. Universal Credit is primarily reserved for people settled in the UK, and overall, the proportion of claimants in this country who are foreign nationals has fallen since October 2024. But we want to go further which is why we have announced plans to double the standard time most migrants have to wait before they can access benefits to 10 years, reducing the burden on the taxpayer and making sure settlement rights are earned.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for Access to Work applications; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the time taken for those applications on applicants whose ability to work is dependent on timely support, such as community-based NHS staff.

We recognise the importance of clearing the backlog, which is why last year we increased the number of staff working in this area by 27% and we have continued to streamline delivery practices. To protect employment opportunities, case managers prioritise Access to Work applications where the customer is due to start a job within four weeks, or cases that are up for renewal. In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are considering all aspects of the scheme as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.

When his Department expects to reach a decision on the potential transfer of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme reserve; and if he will publish a timeline for implementation.

The Chancellor announced in the budget the transfer of the full reserve of £2.3bn which will increase member incomes by 41%. Implementation is a matter for the Trustees but we understand they have put processes in place so that the first payments will be made on 23 December.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that Careers Advisors working in schools receive training in mental health support, to help identify and assist students experiencing mental health challenges.

The department recognises the vital role that careers advisors play in supporting young people to thrive in their future career. We do not expect careers advisors to provide clinical mental health care, but we are committed to ensuring they are better equipped to support, identify concerns and signpost students with mental health challenges towards appropriate support. The department has been working closely with the sector to explore the development of a continuous professional development package to upskill careers advisers working with young people, including support for young people with mental health challenges. We expect the offer to be available from the 2026/27 academic year Alongside this, the government is committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding mental health support teams (MHSTs), so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. By April 2026, we estimate that 60% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England will be covered by an MHST, up from 52% in April 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether her department has had recent discussions with FirstPort property management on the adequacy of their service.

In response to widespread concerns raised in the debate on property service charges on 30 October, I met Martin King, Managing Director of FirstPort, on 17 November. In that meeting, I pressed Mr King and his associates on a wide range of issues stemming from reports of poor service, and I left him in no doubt that in the government’s view, FirstPort’s performance is not good enough. I have written to FirstPort to follow up on the issues raised and have deposited a copy of my letter in the House Library.

Innovation and Technology, if his department will a) include sepsis research in its publication of areas of research interest for alternative methods to animal testing and b) end the use of sepsis research involving animal testing.

The Government’s strategy to support replacing animals in science commits to publish biennially from 2026 a list of alternative-methods research and development priorities.Sepsis is a complex and multifaceted condition, and its study presents significant scientific challenges. We will consider sepsis during the development of our areas of research interest list to determine the best path forward for new model development that drives scientific innovation, supports improved therapy development, and reduces reliance on animals.

Whether her Department holds information on the number of immigrants granted asylum or indefinite leave to remain that have a criminal record either in the UK or abroad.

The requested information is not in a reportable format and can only be collated at disproportionate cost.As explained in this note published in April 2025, systems for collecting and compiling data related to foreign national offenders in the immigration system are currently undergoing a transition to improve the quality of information held by the department. The Home Office proposes to publish more detailed statistical reporting on FNOs subject to deportation and those returned to countries outside of the UK once system developments are complete.Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that immigrants in the UK do not drive on public roads under a non-GB issued licence for longer than 12 months.

While the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is responsible for issuing driving licences, enforcement of the law is a matter for the police.

Whether her Department has considered the potential merits of cutting VAT for food and drink served in pubs, social clubs and brewery taprooms.

The Government recognises the significant contribution made by hospitality businesses to economic growth and social life in the UK. VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is the UK's second largest tax, forecast to raise £180 billion in 2025/26. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. Where pubs incur VAT in producing the food they sell, this can be claimed back in the normal way, provided that they are registered for VAT. Businesses with a turnover below the £90,000 per year threshold may choose not to register for VAT, in which case they do not charge VAT on their sales and cannot reclaim it on their input costs. HMRC estimate that the cost of a 5 per cent reduced rate for accommodation, hospitality and tourist attractions would be around £13 billion this financial year. If the scope were also to include alcoholic beverages, the cost would be approximately £3 billion greater.

If her department monitors the whereabouts of people in the UK who overstay their visa.

We expect people with no right to be here to leave the country voluntarily but, where they do not, Immigration Enforcement will seek to enforce their departure.The Home Office does not routinely categorise immigration offenders by the manner in which they became irregular. The Home Office monitors those individuals in the UK that are here on a temporary visa and, where we know or suspect that they have overstayed, they become liable for enforcement action.

Whether her Department has considered the potential merits of cutting duty on draught beer and cider served in pubs.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the government cut alcohol duty rates on draught products by 1.7%, which applies to approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. This took a penny of duty off a typical strength pint at a cost to the Exchequer of over £85m a year.  Draught beer and cider now pay 13.9% less in duty than their packaged equivalents – an increase of over 50% on the previous draught discount of 9.2%.The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events.

If her Department holds information on the number of UK road traffic accidents caused by immigrants driving without a valid full or provisional UK driving licence.

This information is not held by the Department for Transport.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the use of MOD Garats Hay to house asylum seekers.

As part of our commitment to close all asylum hotels, we are working across government to consider a range of more appropriate sites including ex-military sites to reduce the impact on communities.The Prime Minister has instructed the Home Office and Ministry of Defence to accelerate work on identifying appropriate sites, with results expected in the coming weeks and months.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of abolishing business rates for pubs.

In April 2026, the Government will introduce permanently lower business rates multipliers for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with ratable values below £500,000. This permanent tax cut will ensure that eligible hospitality businesses, including pubs, benefit from much-needed certainty and support. Ahead of the new multipliers being introduced, the Government prevented RHL business rates relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business. Business rates are a vital source of Local Government funding and support critical local services, including children's and adult social care. As such, the Government has no plans to abolish business rates for pubs.

What assessment she has made of the impact of pandemic-related delays on asylum seekers’ eligibility for Indefinite Leave to Remain; and whether transitional provisions will be introduced to ensure that people affected by administrative delays between 2019 and 2022 are not disadvantaged under proposed changes to immigration legislation.

We have a proud history of providing protection to those who need it, for as long as it is needed, in accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention. Settlement applications are determined based on length of residence following a grant of permission to stay, rather than date of initial application. We will be holding a public consultation on the new settlement rules later this year.

If his Department will review the covid-19 vaccination eligibility criteria for (a) frontline workers and (b) carers to ensure that (i) those who work in high-risk environments, (ii) those who provide unpaid care, (ii) carers aged 70 and over, (iv) those who have previously had contact with infectious diseases and (v) those in who cannot afford to access private vaccination services are not excluded from receiving the vaccine.

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19. On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme for spring 2025, autumn 2025, and spring 2026. This advice is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026The Government accepted the JCVI’s advice for autumn 2025 on 26 June 2025. The announcement is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/advice-accepted-on-autumn-2025-covid-19-vaccination-programmeIn its advice for autumn 2024, the JCVI advised that in the era of highly transmissible Omicron sub-variants, any protection offered by the COVID-19 vaccine against the transmission of infection from one person to another is expected to be extremely limited. Therefore, the indirect benefits of vaccination, for instance vaccinating an individual such as an unpaid carer or household member in order to reduce the risk of severe disease in other people, are less evident now compared with previous years. In 2025, the JCVI conducted an extensive review of the scientific evidence surrounding the impact of vaccination on the transmission of the virus from frontline health and social care workers (HSCWs) to patients, the protection of HSCWs against symptoms of the disease, and staff sickness absences. In line with the JCVI’s advice, frontline health and social care workers and unpaid carers are not eligible for COVID-19 vaccination under the national programme for autumn 2025. The focus of the programme is now on those who remain at greatest risk of serious disease and who are therefore most likely to benefit from vaccination.As with all NHS-provided vaccination programmes, only those eligible are offered vaccination. Any of the groups mentioned above who are otherwise eligible, because of their age or due to immunosuppression, are encouraged to take up the offer of vaccination.As with all vaccines offered as part of the national programme in England, there is no charge for COVID-19 vaccination for those who are eligible. There is therefore no cost to those individuals that might discourage uptake.The Government has accepted the JCVI’s advice for autumn 2025 and has no plans to change the eligibility for autumn 2025. As for all vaccines, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the expiry of tariff free quotas under the former UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement on (a) levels of investment in the UK and (b) economic growth.

Canada is a close ally and valued partner of the UK, and the UK-Canada Trade (TCA) Continuity Agreement underpinned £28 billion worth of bilateral trade in 2024. Several of the TCA’s provisions, as negotiated by the previous government, were time limited and expired in 2024 . We continue to work with the Canadian Government to resolve this, including at the WTO and through the new UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group.

If he will publish a national strategy for palliative and end of life care.

The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. I am pleased to confirm the continuation of circa £26 million, adjusted for inflation, for the next three financial years, 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive, to be distributed again via integrated care boards. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to monitor (a) noise and (b) air pollution arising from ongoing (i) housing (ii) rail and (iii) motorway construction projects in Mid Leicestershire constituency; and what assessment she has made of the potential impacts of such projects on public health in Mid Leicestershire constituency.

Local authorities are responsible for monitoring air quality in their areas and reporting annually. Planning authorities require developers of housing, rail, and motorway projects to assess and mitigate air pollution, including dust and emissions, during construction. Similarly, noise impacts must be considered under the planning system, with strong protections in place to minimise adverse effects on health and quality of life. The Planning Practice Guidance and National Planning Policy Framework set out how noise should be addressed in both plan-making and decision-making. Under the Control of Pollution Act, local authorities must ensure that the best practicable means are used to minimise noise during construction.