Written questions by Raja.

What steps his Department is taking to support the recruitment of domestic medical graduates from UK universities into the National Health Service.

Following completion of a medical degree, United Kingdom medical graduates must complete the Foundation Programme, a two-year work-based programme, to practise as a doctor in the National Health Service. We are committed to ensuring that the number of Foundation Programme places meets the demands of the NHS in the future.The Government is committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join the NHS. However, internationally educated staff remain an important part of the workforce.In summer 2025, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) support people seeking an official diagnosis of ADHD, (b) reduce wait times for an ADHD assessment and (c) continue access to the Right to Choose scheme.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop a data improvement plan, understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services.The Government is also committed to patients having the right to choose their provider when referred to consultant-led treatment, or to a mental health professional, for their first appointment as an outpatient.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of missed or cancelled appointments in the NHS as a result of strike action between (a) July - November 2023 and (b) July - November 2024.

NHS England publishes data on the number of rescheduled appointments due to industrial action, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/preparedness-for-potential-industrial-action-in-the-nhs/The following table shows the number of elective procedures, outpatient appointments, and community appointments that were rescheduled due to industrial action between July and November 2023 as well as the corresponding period in 2024:Time periodNumber of elective procedures that were rescheduledNumber of outpatient appointments that were rescheduledNumber of community appointments that were rescheduledTotal appointments that were rescheduledJuly 2023 to November 202360,974475,2833,991540,248July 2024 to November 20241,64319,5518621,280Source: NHS EnglandNote: some of these appointments would have been rescheduled to a date in the same time period.We are pleased that a deal was agreed last summer between the Government and the British Medical Association Resident Doctors Committee bringing an end to their prolonged strike action. The Government can now work with resident doctors to get on with its mission of fixing the health service for patients, including tackling waiting lists.As set out in the Plan for Change, we have committed to return to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients, wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment (RTT) by March 2029. We have already supported this with additional investment in the Autumn Budget 2024, which has enabled us to deliver an additional two million appointments, seven months ahead of schedule.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of NHS Dentist appointments in (a) Leicester East constituency, (b) Leicestershire and (c) England.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.For Leicester East constituency and Leicester, this is NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB. ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025 and 10,137 appointments are expected to be commissioned in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in the national bus fare cap on the number of journeys made by bus.

The government is investing over £150 million to deliver the new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025, which prevented a cliff-edge return to commercial fares. Under the plans of the previous administration, the £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain a cap on bus fares beyond this point.The published full evaluation of the first 10 months of the £2 fare cap found that the scheme contributed approximately a 5% increase in bus patronage, out of a total 13% patronage increase outside of London from January to October 2023 compared to the same period in the previous year.

What steps her Department is taking to increase (a) automated announcements at railway stations and (b) assistance from platform staff for visually impaired passengers.

Ensuring accessibility for all passengers is at the heart of our passenger-focused approach. Whenever the industry carries out work at stations this must meet current accessibility standards, including for visual and audible announcements. Furthermore, all train and station operators are required to establish and comply with an Accessible Travel Policy which sets out, amongst other things, the arrangements and assistance that an operator will provide to protect the interests of disabled people using its services. We have recently funded the next phase of the Passenger Assist programme, this will build on the existing programme and deliver an improved and more consistent assistance offer for all passengers who require assistance.

What steps her Department is taking to increase the accessibility of public transport for (a) young people and (b) students.

Accessibility and inclusivity are key considerations for the government, especially as we seek to deliver against our key missions, including removing barriers to opportunity and delivering safer streets. The government is committed to making transport safer, more inclusive and accessible to everyone – young and old alike – allowing them to live healthy lives, making the journeys they want and need. The Bus Services (No.2) Bill was introduced on 17 December and includes measures to make the design of bus and coach stations and stops more inclusive and sets requirements for training for staff on disability-assistance and disability-awareness to ensure bus drivers and staff dealing directly with the travelling public are better informed of the rights and needs of disabled passengers. Delivering reliable and affordable public transport services is one of the government’s top priorities and we know how important this is for passengers and for local growth. The government is investing over £150 million to deliver a new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025, to help millions access better opportunities and promote greater bus use by passengers. Moving forward, the government will also explore more targeted options that deliver value for money to the taxpayer, to ensure affordable bus travel is always available for the groups who need it the most – such as young people. There are a range of discounts available to young people and students to help with the cost of rail travel. For example, all children under 16 receive 50% off all adult fares, and the 16-17 Saver extends this to 16 and 17-year-olds. For students aged 18 and above, the 16-25 Railcard offers a third off most rail travel.

How many hotel rooms were used for asylum accommodation on (a) 1 July 2024 and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many hotels were used for these purposes on each of those dates.

As part of our effort to cut the overall costs of the asylum system, the Government is committed to end the use of asylum hotels over time, following the peak reached under the previous government when more than 400 hotels were in use, and almost £9 million per day was being spent.In July 2024 there were 213 hotels used to accommodate asylum seekers. Currently 216 hotels are in use, with 7 due to close by the end of April 2025. Data on rooms is not available.

When his Department plans to renew pharmacy contracts following their expiry in March 2024; and if he will provide updated guidance on pharmacy funding following the Spring Budget.

As I have said in Parliament, the previous Government was unable to reach an agreement on the funding for community pharmacy ahead of the election. The existing contractual framework has remained in place and payments are made to contractors in accordance with those arrangements. The Government are currently in consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding the funding arrangements for community pharmacy for 2024/25 and 2025/26.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the introduction of VAT for private school fees on levels of demand for state school places; and what steps she is taking to ensure the adequacy of the availability of school places in (a) Leicester East constituency and (b) England.

The department has made no estimate of the number of pupils in individual local authority areas who will leave the independent school system as a result of VAT on school fees. With regard to England, the government predicts that in the long-term steady state, there will be 37,000 fewer pupils in the private sector in the UK as a result of the removal of the VAT exemption applied to school fees. This represents around 6% of the current private school population.​​Of the expected 37,000-pupil reduction in the private sector, the government estimates an increase of 35,000 pupils in the state sector in the steady state following the VAT policy taking effect, with the other 2,000 consisting of international pupils who do not move into the UK state system, and domestic pupils moving into homeschooling. This state sector increase represents less than 0.5% of total UK state school pupils, of which there are over nine million. This movement is expected to take place over several years.The impact on the state education system as a whole is expected to be very small. Ending tax breaks on private schools will help raise revenue to drive forward the change the government is committed to delivering for the 94% of pupils who attend state schools.​The impact on individual local authorities will interact with other pressures and vary.​Every year many pupils move between schools, including between the private and state-funded sectors. Local authorities routinely support parents who need a state-funded school place, including where private schools have closed. Where local authorities are experiencing difficulties in ensuring there are enough school places for children that need them, the department will offer support and advice.​​The department provides capital funding through the basic need grant to support local authorities to provide school places, based on their own pupil forecasts and school capacity data. They can use this funding to provide places in new schools or through expansions of existing schools. The department has already confirmed nearly £1.5 billion of allocations to support local authorities to create school places needed over the current, and next two, academic years, up to and including the academic year starting in September 2026, including just under £9.7 million for Leicester City Council.

What steps his Department is taking to support businesses that have experienced financial losses in relation to restrictions on trade with Russia.

Our sanctions are designed to minimise impact on the UK and avoid unintended consequences. We have sought to minimise the impact on businesses through implementing appropriate exceptions, specific export licences where appropriate, and wind-down periods when some sanctions are introduced. We have also published impact assessments alongside all Russia sanctions legislation.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing (a) targeted tax relief and (b) other financial support measures to support businesses that have had to source materials or services from alternative suppliers at higher costs as a result of restrictions on trade with Russia.

The Department for Business and Trade does not provide financial support in relation to sanctions. Where possible, we have sought to minimise the impact on businesses through implementing appropriate exceptions, specific export licences where appropriate, and wind-down periods when some sanctions are introduced. UK businesses can access a wealth of online export support via Great.gov.uk and one-to-one support from International Trade Advisers.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) frequency and (b) capacity of rail services between Birmingham and Leicester.

The scope for increased frequency on the Birmingham to Leicester route beyond the current two trains per hour is limited by current infrastructure. The infrastructure capacity is being considered as part of the proposed Midlands Rail Hub project. In terms of train capacity, CrossCountry has recently declassified First Class accommodation on services from Birmingham to Cardiff, Nottingham and Stansted Airport to provide a number of additional seats on each train for all ticket holders.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of building a rail connection between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham on (a) Leicester East, (b) Leicestershire and (c) England.

In December, the Chancellor launched the second stage of the Spending Review. This is a zero-based Spending Review, to ensure every line of spending – including the transport infrastructure portfolio – delivers the Plan for Change and provides good value for taxpayers. We expect the Spending Review, which includes consideration of previously unfunded schemes such as Coventry-Leicester-Nottingham connectivity, to conclude by June 2025.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of improving transport connections between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham on economic growth in the region.

Economic growth is the number one mission of this Government. The Department for Transport is playing a key role in this, as we recognise the potential for transport investment to have a significant impact on local economic development across the country, including for Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham. My Department is currently developing an Integrated National Transport Strategy, which will set the high-level direction for how transport should be designed, built and operated in England over the next 10 years. It will set out a single national vision that will put people who use transport and their needs at its heart and empower local leaders to deliver integrated transport solutions that meet the needs of their local communities.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of building the Midlands Rail Hub on people in (a) Leicester East constituency and (b) Leicestershire.

We are working with Network Rail, Midlands Connect, and West Midlands Rail Executive, to maximise the benefits of Midlands Rail Hub for people throughout the region, including in Leicester and Leicestershire. In December, the Chancellor launched the second stage of the Spending Review. This is a ‘zero-based’ review, to ensure every line of spending – including the transport infrastructure portfolio – delivers the Plan for Change and provides good value for taxpayers. Midlands Rail Hub will be assessed as part of this review alongside other planned rail infrastructure investment schemes.

If she will make an estimate of the proportion of journeys between Coventry and Leicester that are made by train.

The rail mode share between Coventry and Leicester is estimated to be approximately 3 per cent.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the bodies of deceased people from minority religious communities whose faith practices require burial within a specific timeframe are released promptly to their families.

Since 9 September 2024, all deaths in any health setting that are not investigated by a coroner will be reviewed by NHS medical examiners. NHS England has published the National Medical Examiner’s guidance which stipulates that arrangements at each medical examiner office should reflect local health priorities and the needs of communities, particularly if there is regular demand for urgent release of bodies at weekends and public holidays. Urgent release may be required to facilitate organ and tissue donation, or to fulfil religious practices and other needs of local communities.The Royal College of Pathologists provides mandatory face-to-face training for medical examiners, which includes contributions from the Board of Deputies of British Jews and Gardens of Peace in which they explain the importance of rapid scrutiny to facilitate burial as soon as possible. The e-learning modules for medical examiners also include faith considerations.For deaths which are investigated by the coroner, the Chief Coroner has issued a suite of Guidance to assist coroners with the law and their legal duties, and to provide advice on policy and practice. The Chief Coroner’s Guidance No.28 on Decision Making and Expedited Decisions is intended to be a practical guide to assist coroners in situations where a bereaved family has made a request to the coroner for urgent consideration of the death of a loved one and/or early release of their body; or where the coroner or coroner’s officers otherwise become aware of features of a particular death which may justify treating it as especially urgent.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure bodies of deceased individuals are released promptly to families from minority religious communities.

Since 9 September 2024, all deaths in any health setting that are not investigated by a coroner will be reviewed by NHS medical examiners. NHS England has published the National Medical Examiner’s guidance which stipulates that arrangements at each medical examiner office should reflect local health priorities and the needs of communities, particularly if there is regular demand for urgent release of bodies at weekends and public holidays. Urgent release may be required to facilitate organ and tissue donation, or to fulfil religious practices and other needs of local communities.The Royal College of Pathologists provides mandatory face-to-face training for medical examiners, which includes contributions from the Board of Deputies of British Jews and Gardens of Peace in which they explain the importance of rapid scrutiny to facilitate burial as soon as possible. The e-learning modules for medical examiners also include faith considerations.For deaths which are investigated by the coroner, the Chief Coroner has issued a suite of Guidance to assist coroners with the law and their legal duties, and to provide advice on policy and practice. The Chief Coroner’s Guidance No.28 on Decision Making and Expedited Decisions is intended to be a practical guide to assist coroners in situations where a bereaved family has made a request to the coroner for urgent consideration of the death of a loved one and/or early release of their body; or where the coroner or coroner’s officers otherwise become aware of features of a particular death which may justify treating it as especially urgent.

Whether she has had recent discussions with Police and Crime Commissioners in (a) Leicestershire and (b) England on the potential impact of changes to the cost of firearms licenses on the police.

On 15 January 2025, the Government laid a statutory instrument before Parliament that will increase fees charged by police forces to provide full-cost recovery for firearms licensing applications, in line with the Government’s manifesto commitment on firearms fees. The fees were last increased in 2015 and they are now considerably below the cost of the service provided. The new fees came into effect on 5 February.The new fees are based on data produced by a review of firearms licensing costs in 31 police forces in January 2023. This data has since been updated to reflect increases in costs since then. The review was discussed by the Firearms Fees Working Group, chaired by the Home Office, and which included representation from the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.It is essential for both public safety and police efficiency that full cost recovery fees are introduced so that service improvements can be made. I have therefore written to all Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables to make clear that the income from increased fees must be used to ensure their firearms licensing teams are properly resourced and trained for this purpose.