Written questions by Green.

What guidance his Department has issued to NHS trusts and training bodies on their obligations under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to implement the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026; and what timeline he has set for that implementation.

Awaiting answer.

Whether he has made an assessment of the extent to which energy providers are requiring smart meter customers to vary their usage patterns as a condition of accessing advertised tariff benefits; and what consumer protections are in place in those circumstances.

Awaiting answer.

What criteria the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency uses to determine the allocation of practical driving test appointments across test centres; and whether he has plans to review that allocation to improve access for candidates in areas with limited local availability.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the terms and conditions attached to smart meter tariff benefits, including off-peak and free supply offers, are communicated transparently to consumers at the point of sign-up.

Awaiting answer.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential risk of the proposed under-16 social media ban increasing children's exposure to misogynist and extremist rhetoric through migration to unregulated online spaces; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Government's violence against women and girls strategy accounts for the harms arising from those spaces.

Awaiting answer.

What steps she is taking to eliminate backlogs in processing medical licence renewals for drivers.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the cumulative impact on women and girls in Afghanistan of the Taliban's recent legislative measures, including the January 2026 Criminal Procedure Regulation and Decree No. 18; and what steps the Government is taking to support international efforts to hold the Taliban accountable for what United Nations experts have described as an institutionalised system of gender discrimination amounting to crimes against humanity.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of smart meter rollout on higher usage customers, including retired and elderly consumers; and what steps his Department has taken to help support customers with higher domestic energy costs.

Awaiting answer.

Whether Jewish schools, synagogues and community centres in Buckinghamshire are eligible for security funding under the Places of Worship Security Fund; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure uptake of that funding in the county.

Awaiting answer.

What funding has been allocated through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant to institutions in Buckinghamshire in each of the last three financial years.

Awaiting answer.

Whether she plans to update guidance on handling complaints in children's social care.

The department wants to ensure that the process for children’s social care complaints is effective and straightforward for families to navigate. We also want to ensure that local processes work effectively and efficiently within local authorities, and tha...

What consideration he has given to the potential merits of using mobile phone alerts to warn of the dangers of cold water shock in hot weather.

Responsibilities for water safety sit with various Government departments and agencies. As part of its “Beat the Heat” campaign, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) includes a stay safe when swimming section, including links to the Royal Life Saving Soc...

What assessment his Department has made of trends in changes in waiting times for cases initially to be assigned at the Pensions Ombudsman over the past two years.

Waiting times for cases to be initially assigned at The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) have increased over the past two years, primarily due to sustained growth in demand, alongside a backlog of complex cases. TPO has implemented an Operating Model Review to im...

What data his Department holds on average waiting times for (a) cases to be assigned and (b) decisions by the Pensions Ombudsman.

The Department does not centrally publish formal averages for case allocation or final decisions by the Pensions Ombudsman (TPO). However, TPO’s latest performance updates indicate that waiting times remain significant due to sustained demand. Recent data...

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Operating Model Review in reducing waiting times at The Pensions Ombudsman over the past year.

The Pensions Ombudsman’s (TPO) Operating Model Review (OMR) has delivered record case closures in both 2024/25 and 2025/26. Key changes introduced through the OMR include ensuring that individuals complete the formal complaints process with their pension ...

What assessment his department has made of the American '988' Suicide and Crisis Lifeline model, and whether there are plans to develop a similarly integrated crisis line here.

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

What proportion of the additional revenue raised through the application of VAT to independent school fees has been allocated to addressing funding gaps in maintained schools.

Ending the tax breaks previously enjoyed by private schools raises essential revenue that will be invested in our public services, such as the £1.7 billion increase to core school funding in 2026/27, meaning an increased total of £67 billion, compared to £65.3 billion in 2025/26.

Whether her Department plans to introduce retrospective funding for schools that met special educational needs support costs during periods when Education, Health and Care Plan assessments were delayed by local authorities beyond the statutory deadline.

Mainstream schools are currently expected to meet the costs of supporting their pupils with special educational needs (SEN), up to £6,000 per pupil per annum. When the costs of additional support required for a pupil with SEN exceed that £6,000 threshold, the local authority should allocate additional top-up funding to cover the excess costs. This funding comes from the authority’s high needs budget. This may follow a statutory assessment producing an education, health and care (EHC) plan, though local authorities have the discretion to provide high needs funding to schools for pupils without an EHC plan, including those whose EHC needs assessment has been delayed.Following the publication of the Schools White Paper, we are consulting on a range of reforms to enable mainstream schools to be inclusive of children with SEN, and are providing £4 billion over the next three years to prioritise early intervention and drive forward the reforms.

What estimate she has made of the number of people subject to the loan charge who will have their cases settled following the independent review of the loan charge.

The Government accepted all but one of the independent review’s recommendations and in some cases we are going further. We are legislating a generous new settlement opportunity that will help those who have not yet settled to do so. Most individuals could see reductions of at least 50% in their outstanding loan charge liabilities, and an estimated 30% of individuals could have these liabilities written off entirely.