Every parliamentary written question tabled by Rupert Lowe this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1,201–1,220 of 2,390 · this parliament
How many NHS appointments were missed in the last 12-months.
The Department does not hold data on the number of missed appointments across the whole National Health Service. In the year from April 2024 to March 2025, the latest provisional data indicates that there were 8.1 million outpatient appointments not attended by the patient, representing 5.6% of all appointments.
What estimate her Department has made of the number of foreign nationals entering the UK as delivery drivers under temporary work schemes.
Under the current Immigration Rules, the UK operates no Temporary Work schemes that enable the recruitment of delivery drivers from overseas.
What proportion of NHS Trusts provide free parking to patients.
National Health Service trusts decide locally on whether they charge for parking on their sites. The published Estates Return Information Collection gives a breakdown of NHS trusts charging for hospital parking for patients and visitors combined.The latest figures from 2023/24 show that 34% of NHS trusts do not charge hospital car parking for patients and visitors. The data on this is collected in the Estates Return Information Collection (ERIC) and available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection/summary-page-and-dataset-for-eric-2023-24More widely, some patients already receive free hospital car parking as this is provided to those in ‘most need’. This is defined as frequent outpatient attenders, parents of children staying overnight, disabled blue badge holders and NHS staff working overnight. All NHS Trusts that charge for hospital car parking have implemented this commitment.
How many foreign-born prisoners are currently serving sentences for knife crime offences.
Statistics of this nature do not currently form part of our published statistics. Our current approach to publication of nationality data is in line with that used during the previous Conservative Government. However, we are monitoring the data that we collect and publish on the prison population and will keep this under review.Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. The Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. Since 5 July 2024, more FNOs have been returned than in the same period 12 months prior.
If she will introduce a minimum 5-year mandatory sentence for adults convicted of carrying a knife.
Tackling knife crime is a priority and this Government is determined to do all it can to break the deadly cycle of violence that devastates the lives of individuals, families, and communities. It is important that those who commit violent crimes receive appropriate, proportionate and robust sentences.Minimum sentences are rare in England and Wales. It is the function of the independent courts to decide the sentence in each case subject to the maximum that Parliament has provided and any relevant Sentencing Guidelines published by the Sentencing Council. We have a robust legal framework in place to respond to knife crimes with the maximum penalty for carrying a knife or threatening with an offensive weapon being 4 years imprisonment.In recognition of the seriousness of offences related to knives, the law already provides for minimum custodial sentences for repeat knife possession and offences that involve threatening with a weapon. Adults face a minimum of 6 months of imprisonment whilst young people aged 16 or 17 face a four-month Detention and Training Order. Where someone is actually harmed by a knife or offensive weapon, there are a range of offences that the offender may be charged with, such as causing grievous bodily harm. These can result in lengthy sentences, up to life imprisonment.
Whether prisoners undertake (a) litter collection and (b) graffiti removal.
Prisoners currently can access community service work through Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) during the custodial element within their sentence.The Prison Rules in England and Wales provide that a prisoner may be granted leave from prison for short periods on temporary licence. ROTL is an important rehabilitation tool which allows prisoners to participate in activities in the community which have been identified as serving a particular purpose in meeting their individual resettlement objectives. Suitable, risk assessed prisoners may be allowed out during the day to, for example, attend college, attend an interview, maintain/re-establish links with their family or undertake community work, such as litter clearance or graffiti removal. This helps them develop responsibility and gain valuable skills.The decision to allow temporary release is taken by the prison governor, on behalf of the Secretary of State, who must always balance the needs of the prisoner and the purpose of the ROTL applied for, against the need to maintain public safety and the public’s confidence in the criminal justice system. Each decision is taken on a case-by-case basis to safeguard the public. Any breaches can result in additional time in custody.In addition, Unpaid Work is the punitive community requirement set by the court. In 2023, around half of those on community sentences had such a requirement, with around 5 million hours delivered each year. This can include carrying out work such as litter clearance and graffiti removal.
What proportion of immigration cases involve the use of interpretation services paid for by the state.
Obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information from multiple systems owned by multiple teams across the Home Office and, therefore, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
What proportion of people in receipt of childcare support are claiming Universal Credit.
The proportion of people in receipt of childcare support claiming Universal Credit is not available as not all childcare support is the responsibility of this department. The latest statistics for Universal Credit households in receipt of Universal Credit childcare element are published and available here: Universal Credit statistics, 29 April 2013 to 9 January 2025 - GOV.UK Universal Credit childcare element statistics, March 2021 to November 2024Universal Credit childcare element statistics, supplementary data tables
What steps he is taking to bring retired NHS staff back into service.
NHS England operates Return to Practice for Nurses, Midwives and Health and Care Professions Council professionals, which is for those wanting to return after their professional registration has lapsed. This includes retired National Health Service staff going back into service.NHS Pension Scheme rules have been changed over recent years to make returning to service and contributing extra hours more attractive.
What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce levels of self-segregation in (a) housing and (b) schooling in areas with high concentrations of recent immigrants.
The Immigration White Paper, published 12 May, set out proposals in a number of areas, including integration and English language requirements, further details of which will be set out in due course.
How many and what proportion of state-funded schools currently permit the wearing of the (a) niqab and (b) burqa by (i) students and (ii) staff; and whether her Department has issued any guidance on uniform policies and face coverings.
The department has published non-statutory guidance on developing a school uniform policy, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms. The guidance sets out that it is for the governing body of a school to decide rules about appearance and the design of any uniform they choose to have. Schools must have regard to their obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010 and need to consider the impact of their policy on pupils who share a protected characteristic.The department does not collect data on individual schools’ uniform policies.
what guidance her Department has provided to (a) police officers and (b) security personnel on interacting with people wearing face coverings that obscure identity in public places.
Section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 provides a power for police officers to demand the removal of disguises in certain circumstances to prevent crime. In addition, if the officer believes that someone is wearing an item for the purpose of concealing identity there is also a power to seize such items.Statutory guidance on the use of this power is set out in Code A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). The College of Policing is responsible for providing operational guidance to police on the use of their powers.We will also use the Crime and Policing Bill to introduce a new offence to use a face covering to conceal identity in an area the police assess a protest is likely to occur that may involve the commission of offences.
How many and what proportion of people granted (a) refugee and (b) asylum status entered full-time employment within five years of arrival in the last ten years.
The requested information is not currently available from published statistics, and could only be collated for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
How many and what proportion of people who entered the UK on student visas since 2015 have not left the UK within six months of their visa expiry.
The latest data available on the ‘Source of asylum claims in 2024’ was published by the Home Office on 30th March 2025.
What estimate he has made of the proportion of adult migrants resident in the UK for over five years who are proficient in (a) spoken and (b) written English.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 11th June is attached.
Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of full-face coverings on levels of (a) coercion, (b) domestic control and (c) honour-based abuse.
Tackling violence against women and girls, including Coercive or Controlling Behaviour (CCB) and ‘Honour’-Based Abuse (HBA), is a top priority for this Government and our manifesto included a mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. We will deliver a cross-government transformative approach, underpinned by a new strategy to be published in the summer.CCB is a particularly insidious form of domestic abuse. As made clear in statutory guidance, it can include isolating a person from friends and family, enforcing rules to humiliate, degrade or dehumanise, physical intimidation or taking control over aspects of the victim’s everyday life, such as by dictating what they can and cannot wear.CCB is an offence in the Serious Crime Act (2015). The statutory definition of domestic abuse, contained within the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, explicitly recognises controlling or coercive behaviour as a form of domestic abuse.HBA is an umbrella term, covering specific crimes such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage, but also other forms of abuse that take place in an 'honour' context. HBA is often hidden in nature. We are focused on preventing these crimes from happening, supporting and protecting survivors and those at risk, and bringing perpetrators to justice.In 2023, the Home Office commissioned a feasibility study on producing robust prevalence estimates for FGM and forced marriage. The study concluded in March 2024, and we are currently working on our next steps and will provide an update in due course.Building on the progress made in the Community Advocates Project, which took place in early 2024, we are progressing the HBA Campaign. This is a campaign to raise awareness of issues surrounding HBA and signpost where people can seek help. The Home Office also funds Karma Nirvana to operate the national HBA Helpline which supports victims and survivors and advises professionals to improve awareness of HBA.
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the outcomes of bans on wearing full face coverings in public spaces in (a) France, (b) Denmark, (c) Austria and (d) other European countries.
Britain has a proud tradition of freedom of speech and religious expression within the confines of the law. There are no current general policies or legislations that ban the wearing of religious and non-religious full-face coverings in public spaces. The government has no intention to introduce any.
What information his Department holds on the number and proportion of GP registrations made by people not born in the UK in the last five years, broken down by region.
The Department does not hold data regarding the number and proportion of National Health Service general practice registrations that were for people not born in the United Kingdom.
What information his Department holds on the number of births in NHS hospitals to mothers not born in the UK in 2023, broken down by the (a) region of the hospital and (b) mother's country of birth.
The Department does not hold data on the number of births in National Health Service hospitals to mothers not born in the United Kingdom.However, the Office for National Statistics publishes statistics on live births in England and Wales in 2023 by parent’s country of birth and area of usual residence. These statistics include live births to the 2.2% of women who did not give birth in an NHS hospital and instead gave birth at home, in a non-NHS establishment, or elsewhere, and are available at the following link:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/bulletins/parentscountryofbirthenglandandwales/2023
Whether her Department is taking steps to inform (a) law enforcement, (b) border agencies and (c) local authorities of name changes made by people with insecure immigration status.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave him to Question 58407.