Written questions by Lowe.

How many and what proportion of (i) nurses (ii) doctors (iii) midwives entering the NHS were (a) non-UK citizens (b) non-UK graduates in each of the last five years.

The Department does not hold data on the number and proportion non-United Kingdom citizens entering the National Health Service. NHS England publishes monthly Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics for England which includes data on the self-reported nationality of NHS staff, which may not be the same as citizenship. Not all non-UK nationals will have been recruited from abroad, as some will already be resident in the UK before they join the NHS. This information is available at the following link, within the folder “Preliminary - NHS HCHS Workforce Statistics, Turnover – CSV data files”:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statisticsThe Department does not hold data on the number and proportion non-UK graduate doctors, nurses and midwives entering the NHS. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) publishes data on non-UK graduate first-time joiners to their professional register across the UK. The General Medical Council (GMC) similarly publishes data on non-UK graduates taking up, or returning to, a license to practice medicine in the UK. It is possible to apply to join the UK Registers without moving to the UK. The most recent published NMC data is available at the following link: https://www.nmc.org.uk/about-us/reports-and-accounts/registration-statistics/ The most recent published GMC data can be found under the “Reference tables and data annex” section of the “The state of medical education and practice in the UK: workforce report 2025”, within the file titled “The register of medical practitioners”, available at the following link:https://www.gmc-uk.org/about/what-we-do-and-why/data-and-research/the-state-of-medical-education-and-practice-in-the-uk/workforce-report

To provide a breakdown in the total value of student loan repayments received by (i) non-UK nationals and (ii) UK nationals in each of the last five financial years.

The following table gives the Student Loan Company (SLC) payments in millions for the 2020/21 to 2024/25 financial years and covers Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans (full time and part time) for undergraduates only domiciled in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the EU (Scotland's applications are not administered by SLC). These figures are split by the UK National indicator on the application form. Student support eligibility is determined by residency and not nationality and the UK National indicator field on the application form can be left blank by the applicant. Payments (£ million) Financial YearUK National indicatorNon-UK NationalUnknownGrand Total2020/2116,358.52,395.3341.819,095.72021/2216,832.22,798.7442.720,073.62022/2316,690.23,069.9551.720,311.82023/2416,534.03,360.9643.220,538.12024/2516,605.73,770.5706.221,082.4

What mechanisms are in place to ensure that police officers demonstrate fluent spoken and written English before being deployed in frontline roles.

Decisions about police recruitment, including how recruitment and selection processes are run, are a matter for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners and are therefore managed locally by forces. This is done within a national application, assessment and selection framework, in line with national guidance maintained by the College of Policing. We expect all forces to uphold the highest standards in recruitment so that only those fit to serve as police officers are appointed.The Home Office does not collect data on the nationality of police officers, nor on police officers that have completed English language training. However, all candidates for appointment as a police officer must meet the standards set by the College of Policing.As set out in Regulations, police officers must demonstrate competence in written and spoken English. We are working closely with the College of Policing to ensure that forces continue to make improvements to all entry routes. As part of this work, the College of Policing is currently consulting police leaders to assess and determine the appropriate English language standard required for all policing roles.Forces are operationally independent, and decisions about training requirements and the deployment of officers remain an operational matter for Chief Constables.

How many police officers recruited since 2019 have required English language training after appointment.

Decisions about police recruitment, including how recruitment and selection processes are run, are a matter for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners and are therefore managed locally by forces. This is done within a national application, assessment and selection framework, in line with national guidance maintained by the College of Policing. We expect all forces to uphold the highest standards in recruitment so that only those fit to serve as police officers are appointed.The Home Office does not collect data on the nationality of police officers, nor on police officers that have completed English language training. However, all candidates for appointment as a police officer must meet the standards set by the College of Policing.As set out in Regulations, police officers must demonstrate competence in written and spoken English. We are working closely with the College of Policing to ensure that forces continue to make improvements to all entry routes. As part of this work, the College of Policing is currently consulting police leaders to assess and determine the appropriate English language standard required for all policing roles.Forces are operationally independent, and decisions about training requirements and the deployment of officers remain an operational matter for Chief Constables.

How many serving police officers in England and Wales are foreign nationals, broken down by nationality.

Decisions about police recruitment, including how recruitment and selection processes are run, are a matter for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners and are therefore managed locally by forces. This is done within a national application, assessment and selection framework, in line with national guidance maintained by the College of Policing. We expect all forces to uphold the highest standards in recruitment so that only those fit to serve as police officers are appointed.The Home Office does not collect data on the nationality of police officers, nor on police officers that have completed English language training. However, all candidates for appointment as a police officer must meet the standards set by the College of Policing.As set out in Regulations, police officers must demonstrate competence in written and spoken English. We are working closely with the College of Policing to ensure that forces continue to make improvements to all entry routes. As part of this work, the College of Policing is currently consulting police leaders to assess and determine the appropriate English language standard required for all policing roles.Forces are operationally independent, and decisions about training requirements and the deployment of officers remain an operational matter for Chief Constables.

How many foreign national officers have failed vetting or re-vetting procedures since 2015.

The Home Office does not centrally collect information on the number of police officers who fail vetting or re-vetting procedures. This information is held individually by each of the 43 territorial police forces.

What estimate she has made of the number of (a) police misconduct cases and (b) police misconduct cases involving non-UK national police officers since 2020.

The Home Office does not hold the requested information.The Home Office collects and publishes information on cases handled under the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 as a part of its published Police Misconduct: England and Wales statistical series:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-misconduct-statisticsThis includes information on the protected characteristics of those facing complaint, conduct matter and recordable conduct matter allegations. The Home Office does not collect information on the nationality of those who face allegations.

What guidance her Department provides to police forces on English language standards for police recruitment.

Decisions about police recruitment, including how recruitment and selection processes are run, are a matter for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners and are therefore managed locally by forces. This is done within a national application, assessment and selection framework, in line with national guidance maintained by the College of Policing. We expect all forces to uphold the highest standards in recruitment so that only those fit to serve as police officers are appointed.The Home Office does not collect data on the nationality of police officers, nor on police officers that have completed English language training. However, all candidates for appointment as a police officer must meet the standards set by the College of Policing.As set out in Regulations, police officers must demonstrate competence in written and spoken English. We are working closely with the College of Policing to ensure that forces continue to make improvements to all entry routes. As part of this work, the College of Policing is currently consulting police leaders to assess and determine the appropriate English language standard required for all policing roles.Forces are operationally independent, and decisions about training requirements and the deployment of officers remain an operational matter for Chief Constables.

How many police officers have been subject to disciplinary action as a result of (a) poor communication and (b) language comprehension in the last five years.

The Home Office does not hold the requested information.The Home Office collects and publishes information on cases handled under the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 as a part of its published Police Misconduct: England and Wales statistical series:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-misconduct-statisticsThis includes information on the volume of complaints, internal conduct matters and recordable conduct matters which, if proven, could result in disciplinary action.Allegations are categorised using the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s (IOPC) allegation types, which includes a category of impolite language/tone. Data on the volume of allegations and action taken, by IOPC allegation type can be found in the misconduct allegations by type open data table, available from:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-misconduct-open-data-tablesThe Home Office does not currently collect information on cases that resulted in disciplinary action for unsatisfactory performance, handled under the Police (Performance) Regulations 2020.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proportion of police officers that are of foreign nationality or non-native English speakers on public confidence in police forces.

Decisions about police recruitment, including how recruitment and selection processes are run, are a matter for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners and are therefore managed locally by forces. This is done within a national application, assessment and selection framework, in line with national guidance maintained by the College of Policing. We expect all forces to uphold the highest standards in recruitment so that only those fit to serve as police officers are appointed.The Home Office does not collect data on the nationality of police officers, nor on police officers that have completed English language training. However, all candidates for appointment as a police officer must meet the standards set by the College of Policing.As set out in Regulations, police officers must demonstrate competence in written and spoken English. We are working closely with the College of Policing to ensure that forces continue to make improvements to all entry routes. As part of this work, the College of Policing is currently consulting police leaders to assess and determine the appropriate English language standard required for all policing roles.Forces are operationally independent, and decisions about training requirements and the deployment of officers remain an operational matter for Chief Constables.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a dedicated whistleblowing line for NHS staff and patients to report issues with language barriers in the National Health Service.

Speak Up Direct, funded by the Department, is a dedicated, independent helpline offering confidential advice, signposting, and guidance to National Health Service and social care staff on raising work-related concerns. Additional support includes Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, with over 1,300 now available across healthcare settings in England, and a Freedom to Speak Up policy that sets minimum standards for NHS organisations in England.The NHS complaints process enables patients to give feedback or raise concerns about any aspect of their care.Translation and interpretation services are available for patients who need language support. Additional support is available for individuals who may have difficulty understanding their care or communicating their needs. Patient advocates can speak on their behalf, facilitate decision-making, clarify care procedures, and help safeguard patient rights.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has visibility over donations or grants from U.S. government agencies or foundations to (a) BBC Media Action and (b) the BBC World Service Trust since 2018.

The information requested is not held by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has communicated with (a) U.S. federal agencies and (b) major social media platforms on the moderation or removal of UK-based content since 2020.

The department regularly engages with international partners, including US federal agencies, on a range of technology-related issues.The department also regularly engages with social media platforms to discuss online harms, including topics that pose a risk to the UK and its citizens. Using its trusted flagger status, the department can also refer online content to platforms that poses a risk to UK national security or public safety and is assessed as likely to violate platforms’ terms of service. It is then up to platforms to decide what action, if any, to take on content referred to them.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether U.S. officials have (a) participated in and (b) been consulted on UK–Mauritius negotiations regarding the Chagos Islands and Diego Garcia since 2022.

As I stated in the House of Commons on 2 September, the UK-Mauritius treaty was tested at the highest levels of the United States' security establishment, across multiple agencies. The agreement has been backed by our key allies and international partners, including the US and all our Five Eyes partners.

Whether (a) Section 232 tariffs, (b) digital tax negotiations and (c) IP reforms have been discussed with USA trade officials in the context of a future UK–USA trade agreement.

The UK has continued to engage across the range of issues outlined in the General Terms for the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal agreed in May.We're continuing talks on a wider deal which will look at addressing specific tariff and non-tariff barriers, increasing digital and services trade, and unlocking new commercial opportunities that benefit both nations. We cannot comment on the specifics of live negotiations.Intensive discussions also continue on other sectors under Section 232 investigation towards the significantly preferential outcome provided for under the General Terms.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has held discussions with U.S. agencies or corporations on digital identity, interoperability, or trust frameworks since 2021.

DSIT is developing the UK digital identity and attributes trust framework to enable secure, interoperable digital identity services in the UK. Senior officials regularly collaborate with international partners, including US departments, agencies, tech companies and standards bodies, to align best practices and share insights. These efforts help ensure the UK trust framework is compatible with national and international standards, fostering interoperability and trust. The department remains committed to ongoing collaboration and knowledge exchange to address new challenges in digital identity.

Whether her Department has engaged in (a) data-sharing, (b) surveillance coordination and (c) technology interoperability projects with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency since the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

The Home Office strengthened cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency through the agreement of the UK-Frontex Working Arrangement in 2024. It would not be appropriate to disclose specific operational details of this framework as this could prejudice operational effectiveness. More information on the UK-Frontex Working Arrangement can found here.

Whether UK (a) climate and (b) carbon capture, usage and storage initiatives are coordinated with U.S. federal or state programmes.

The United States is Britain’s closest ally. Our two countries have a long, deep history of close cooperation. This is demonstrated by the Technology Prosperity Deal signed by the Prime Minister and the President during his recent State Visit, which included ambitious civil nuclear collaboration.The United States are also a key UK partner in Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage, as the world leader in deployment and current capacity, on which we each engage multilaterally within the Carbon Management Challenge and the Clean Energy Ministerial CCUS Initiative.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 November to Question 82825 on NHS: English Language, how many tests were taken, by nationality; and how many were failed.

The Department does not hold data about these tests or assessments. Where collected, this would be held by the relevant lead organisation for each process. For data about English language competence for registration, this would be held by the healthcare regulators. Any available assessment data on candidates applying for the NHS Performers List would be held by NHS England. The International English Language Testing System and Occupational English Test would hold data for their respective tests and local National Health Service trusts and employers would hold data on candidate performance where an assessment has been carried out as part of a recruitment process.

To provide a breakdown of (a) total pay-outs (b) total value of claims to category A patients by (i) UK citizens (ii) asylum seekers for the financial year 24/25.

NHS Resolution manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England. This data is not held by NHS Resolution.