Every parliamentary written question tabled by Simon Opher this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 41–60 of 333 · this parliament
Pursuant to the Answer to UIN 94508, how many of these unique applications were made by people currently outside the UK, compared to those already based in the UK.
The Department has not undertaken an analysis of the information collected as part of the 2025 medical specialty training programme to assess the location of applicants at the point of application.
Whether the modelled projections in the 10 Year Workforce Plan will include projections for medical specialties.
The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. It will include modelling of the potential size and shape of the future workforce and implications for major professions. We are working through how the plan will articulate the changes for different professional groups.
What steps he is taking to reduce the backlog for core anaesthetic training.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan published in July this year, over the three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.On 8 December, the Government put an offer in writing to the British Medical Association Resident Doctors Committee which was rejected. The offer included the creation of 4,000 more specialty training places, with 1,000 of these brought forward to this year and emergency legislation which would prioritise United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland medical graduates for foundation training, and prioritise UK and Republic of Ireland medical graduates and doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period of time for specialty training. This would have applied for current applicants for training posts starting in 2026, and every year after that. We have also made changes for the 2025 specialty training application round to help tackle bottlenecks. Full registration with the General Medical Council is now required at the point of application to specialty training rather than when a successful applicant would take up post, and the number of applications that an applicant can make is restricted to five, whereas previously it has been unlimited.
How extra training places as set out in the 10 year plan will be divided between specialities.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan published in July this year, over the three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.On 8 December, the Government put an offer in writing to the British Medical Association Resident Doctors Committee which was rejected. The offer included the creation of 4,000 more specialty training places, with 1,000 of these brought forward to this year and emergency legislation which would prioritise United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland medical graduates for foundation training, and prioritise UK and Republic of Ireland medical graduates and doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period of time for specialty training. This would have applied for current applicants for training posts starting in 2026, and every year after that. We have also made changes for the 2025 specialty training application round to help tackle bottlenecks. Full registration with the General Medical Council is now required at the point of application to specialty training rather than when a successful applicant would take up post, and the number of applications that an applicant can make is restricted to five, whereas previously it has been unlimited.
What steps she is taking to support schools seeking to attain purchasing power agreements for solar panels.
My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Budget 2025 indicated that departments could consider private sources of finance, including Public Private Partnerships, to decarbonise the public sector estate. The department is exploring how this could be applied to schools, including the potential use of Power Purchase Agreements for solar installations. Based on research to date there is an estimated capacity on the school estate in its current roof condition to generate up to 1.9 gigawatts of electricity.The Great British Energy Solar Partnership for Schools is already investing £100 million to install solar and other energy efficiency interventions on 250 schools and colleges. The department ‘s sustainability website also provides support for all schools on reducing their emissions, including some low-cost approaches.
Whether she plans to publish data on school swimming attainment.
The department is processing the information gathered on school swimming attainment, which was received through the physical education and sport premium digital expenditure reporting return. We will publish a summary of quality assured data in due course.
Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to regulate property management companies.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 77534 on 17 October 2025.
Communities and Local Government, whether he holds data on the number of private new-build freehold estates managed via resident-run companies.
My Department does not hold specific data on the number of private new-build freehold estates managed via resident-run companies.
How many individual applicants applied for specialty training places across all 65 medical specialties; and how many training places were available in 2025.
The Department holds data based on the application process for medical specialty training which allows the identification of unique applicants. This data is part of management information systems summarising information supplied in medical specialty training cycles. Applicants may have chosen to only apply to one specialty programme or may have made multiple applications within the year.The following table shows the number of unique applicants in rounds one and two of medical specialty training for 2025 and the associated training places available across the United Kingdom:Round oneRound twoUnique applicants33,8708,481Training posts9,4793,354Source: NHS England Medical Specialty Programme Applications Data.Round one of the medical specialty application process includes applications to first year specialty training and core training programmes, often referred to as ST1 and CT1 respectively, and some ‘higher’ medical specialty training programmes, usually at year three, often referred to as ST3. Round two is for entry to most ‘higher’ medical specialty training programmes, ST3 or ST4. There will be a limited number of doctors who apply in a year to both rounds one and two.Information on the number of applications and posts available for individual medical specialty training programmes is published annually by NHS England and can be found at the following link:https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/competition-ratiosThe 10-Year Health Plan set out that 1,000 more specialty training places would be created over the next three years.On 8 December, the Government put an offer in writing to the British Medical Association Resident Doctors Committee which would have put in place emergency legislation in the new year which would prioritise United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland medical graduates for foundation training, and prioritise UK and Republic of Ireland medical graduates and doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period of time for specialty training. This would have applied for current applicants for training posts starting in 2026, and every year after that.The British Medical Association has rejected the Government's offer and the Government will consider its next steps.
Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to protect election candidates from anonymous abuse on social media through the forthcoming Elections Bill.
The Government is clear that all forms of harassment, intimidation and abuse, including online and anonymous abuse, are unacceptable and have no place in our democracy. As set out in the Restoring Trust in our Democracy strategy, we are taking forward several measures through the Elections Bill to strengthen protections for those taking part in elections. This includes the introduction of an aggravating factor to empower courts to give tougher sentences to those who are convicted of intimidatory offences targeted at candidates, campaigners, elected representatives and electoral staff. My department is also working with the Speaker’s Conference and the Electoral Commission to develop a code of conduct for campaigning, which will promote respectful political debate and set clear expectations for behaviour. This is a complex issue which requires a comprehensive response from all parts of government. We continue to work closely with departments across government and through the Defending Democracy Taskforce to tackle unacceptable abuse and better protect candidates.
Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Ofcom's Online Safety Act Illegal Content Codes of Practice on levels of online violence against women and girls.
Reducing online violence against women and girls and fraud are priorities for this government. Ofcom’s Illegal Harms Codes require platforms to proactively address serious illegal content, much of which disproportionately impacts women and girls. The codes also require platforms to implement strong measures to protect users against fraud.The Government and Ofcom are actively monitoring changes to platforms' behaviour and the levels of harm experienced online following Ofcom’s codes coming into effect. This work will track the effect of the online safety regime and feed into a statutory Post Implementation Review.
Innovation and Technology, what discussions her Department has had with Ofcom on ensuring that the steps it is taking to implement the Online Safety Act (2023) contribute to the delivery of its target to halve the level of violence against women and girls.
Reducing online violence against women and girls and fraud are priorities for this government. Ofcom’s Illegal Harms Codes require platforms to proactively address serious illegal content, much of which disproportionately impacts women and girls. The codes also require platforms to implement strong measures to protect users against fraud.The Government and Ofcom are actively monitoring changes to platforms' behaviour and the levels of harm experienced online following Ofcom’s codes coming into effect. This work will track the effect of the online safety regime and feed into a statutory Post Implementation Review.
Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Ofcom's Online Safety Act Illegal Content Codes of Practice on levels of fraud against UK consumers.
Reducing online violence against women and girls and fraud are priorities for this government. Ofcom’s Illegal Harms Codes require platforms to proactively address serious illegal content, much of which disproportionately impacts women and girls. The codes also require platforms to implement strong measures to protect users against fraud.The Government and Ofcom are actively monitoring changes to platforms' behaviour and the levels of harm experienced online following Ofcom’s codes coming into effect. This work will track the effect of the online safety regime and feed into a statutory Post Implementation Review.
Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to help protect UK citizens from (a) foreign influence and (b) manipulation operations using fake accounts on social media through the forthcoming Elections Bill.
The Government takes any attempts to intervene in democratic processes very seriously. It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect our democratic and electoral processes, including from foreign interference. The Defending Democracy Taskforce brings together Whitehall departments, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies to monitor and mitigate risks, including foreign interference. The Joint Election Security and Preparedness unit (JESP) leads cross-government efforts in preparation for the 2026 elections, which are taking place across the UK. The Government’s strategy for modern, secure and inclusive elections, published in July, sets out our plan to strengthen oversight of and safeguards against known and emerging threats, including foreign interference through covert political funding. We are introducing tougher rules on political donations to protect UK elections, striking the right balance between safeguarding against foreign interference whilst making sure that legitimate donors can continue to fund electoral campaigns.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of allegations of foreign interference in recent elections in Romania and Germany through social media; and what steps he is taking to help prevent foreign interference in UK elections.
The Government takes any attempts to intervene in democratic processes very seriously. It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect our democratic and electoral processes, including from foreign interference. The Defending Democracy Taskforce brings together Whitehall departments, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies to monitor and mitigate risks, including foreign interference. The Joint Election Security and Preparedness unit (JESP) leads cross-government efforts in preparation for the 2026 elections, which are taking place across the UK. The Government’s strategy for modern, secure and inclusive elections, published in July, sets out our plan to strengthen oversight of and safeguards against known and emerging threats, including foreign interference through covert political funding. We are introducing tougher rules on political donations to protect UK elections, striking the right balance between safeguarding against foreign interference whilst making sure that legitimate donors can continue to fund electoral campaigns.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Education and (b) other Cabinet colleagues on the UK's position on proposals at the UN to negotiate an Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to strengthen the right to education.
Officials in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Department for Education worked together closely to determine the UK's position on the Optional Protocol, as set out in the answer provided on 3 November to Question 84390.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reasons the UK has opposed proposals at the UN to guarantee at least one year of free pre-primary education and free secondary education in international law.
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I provided to question 84390 on 3 November.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to consult with recreational user groups during the development of the proposed White Paper on water reform.
The Government is considering the approach to improving access to nature, including for recreational water users, and is committed to working with stakeholders as this develops. Extensive consultation with stakeholders took place during the Independent Water Commission’s review of the water sector. The government will continue to engage key stakeholders as it develops its full policy response to the recommendations. A new partnership between Government, the sector, investors and communities will deliver the change the public expects.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking through the water reform white paper to consider potential options for increasing access rights for (a) swimming and (b) non-motorised craft.
The Government is considering the approach to improving access to nature, including for recreational water users. We will respond to the recommendations published in the final report of the Independent Water Commission through a White Paper and will bring forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for the environment and restore trust and accountability. The Government’s full response to the Commission’s recommendations will be published through the White Paper. The Government has already responded to a number of Sir Jon’s recommendations, as set out in the statement made by the previous Secretary of State on 21 July. This set out the Government’s intention to establish a single regulator for water, to include a regional element within the new regulator, to establish a new statutory water ombudsman, to end operator self-monitoring and transition to Open Monitoring, and to issue an interim Strategic Policy Statement to Ofwat and give Ministerial directions to the Environment Agency, setting out our expectations and requirements.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Environment Agency's Chief Scientist’s Group report entitled Exploring recreational water use in England, published in July 2025.
The Government is considering the approach to improving access to nature and is committed to working with stakeholders as this develops. The Environment Agency’s report on recreational water use will help to inform that process.