Written questions by Joseph.

What discussions his Department has had with private contractors working in the NHS on paying staff the same rates as equivalent NHS staff.

There have been no specific discussions on this with private contractors working in the National Health Service.Independent organisations commissioned by the NHS in England, such as general practices or social enterprises, are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment, including the pay scales that they use. It is for them to determine what is affordable within the financial model they operate.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with South East Water on the continued imposition of a hosepipe ban for its customers.

The Environment Agency has been in contact with South East Water throughout the drought to ensure the company has followed its drought plan. The decision for removal of the hosepipe ban, is for South East Water as outlined in the sections 76 and 76A-C of the Water Industry Act 1991.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2025 to Question 81640 on Parking: Disability, whether her Department has had recent discussions with Kent County Council on its use of powers under Part IV of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to mark out disabled parking bays.

Kent County Council, as the traffic authority for Kent, are wholly responsible for exercising their powers under Part IV of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Whilst the Department does not typically intervene in local authority decision making on marking out disabled parking bays, it publishes guidance to local authorities to support them in carrying out their responsibilities. These can be found on GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of checks on goods coming into the UK at Sevington on the protection of a) public health and b) animal health.

Border checks undertaken by competent authorities at the Sevington SPS Border Control Post are an important element of the system designed to manage biosecurity risks. The Sevington facility is enabling the implementation of SPS controls at the border on EU goods under the Border Target Operating Model which are providing assurance that the underlying systems of controls are working as intended. These controls include import conditions, certification signed by veterinarian and plant certification authorities in exporting countries, risk assessments, border checks, and other intelligence led controls.

What steps his Department is taking to improve ambulance waiting times in (a) Ashford constituency and (b) Kent.

The Government recognises that in recent years ambulance response times have not met the high standards patients should expect.We are determined to turn things around. Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26, backed by almost £450 million of capital investment, commits to reducing ambulance response times for Category 2 incidents to 30 minutes on average this year. We are also tackling unacceptable ambulance handover delays by introducing a maximum 45-minute standard, supporting ambulances to be released more quickly and get back on the road to treat patients.The latest National Health Service performance figures for the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, which serves Ashford and Kent, show that Category 2 incidents were responded to in 29 minutes 57 seconds on average, and the mean handover time was 18 minutes 10 seconds, meeting the targets set by the plan.

When his Department plans to announce the new membership of the National Quality Board.

In our 10-Year Health Plan we committed to reintroducing a new, rigorous focus on high-quality care for all, and that as part of this we will revitalise the National Quality Board. The next meeting of the National Quality Board is in December, and we continue to review its membership to ensure it is an effective decision-making body. The membership includes representatives from a wide range of organisations and arms-length bodies in the health and care sector.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the application of food safety regulations to (a) the vehicles and (b) the bags used by delivery drivers.

Food safety regulations in the United Kingdom apply to all stages of the food supply chain, including the transport and delivery of food by vehicles and in bags. These requirements are set out in the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, which implement assimilated Regulation (EU) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs. Under these regulations:- vehicles used for food delivery must be kept clean, maintained in good condition, and designed to prevent contamination. Where necessary, they must be capable of maintaining appropriate temperatures for chilled or frozen foods;- hot food must be kept at 63˚C or above. However, limited periods outside temperature control are permitted, to accommodate the practicalities of handling during the preparation, transport, storage, display, and service of food, provided that it does not result in a risk to health; and- delivery bags and containers must also be kept clean and made from materials that are easily maintained and suitable for food contact. They must protect food from contamination and, where required, maintain safe temperatures during transport.The Food Standards Agency (FSA) provides guidance to food businesses on how to meet these requirements, including advice on cleaning, temperature control, and preventing cross-contamination. Businesses are expected to assess and manage these risks through their food safety management systems.The existing legal framework is considered sufficient to ensure food safety during delivery, provided businesses comply with their responsibilities.Local authorities are responsible for enforcing these food hygiene requirements as part of their role in regulating food businesses. Further information is available on the FSA’s website at the following link:https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/food-safety-for-food-delivery

What steps his Department is taking to ensure more GP practices join the veteran friendly GP accreditation programme.

NHS England, in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners, is continuing to encourage general practices (GPs) to participate in the Armed Forces Veteran Friendly GP accreditation scheme. This voluntary initiative is available to GPs across England and is free to access. To date, over 99% of primary care networks have at least one accredited GP in their area.100% of National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in England are now officially accredited as Veteran Aware. This achievement, led by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance, reflects a national commitment to provide compassionate, personalised care to serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and their families.In addition, the Department announced the National Training and Education Programme which will see NHS staff across England receiving dedicated training to help them identify and support patients with military backgrounds.

What plans her Department has for (a) small boats, (b) dinghies and (c) other vessels that are seized for trying to transport migrants into the UK.

All vessels that have been subject to seizure, are held by Border Force until the completion of criminal investigations and any resulting legal proceedings. The majority of boats, dinghies and other vessels are not fit to ever go to sea again, as they arrive in very poor condition and may be damaged during the recovery process. The boats, dinghies and vessels are disposed of by Border Force’s approved contractors and where appropriate, any suitable materials are recycled.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the placement of children with new foster parents does not have a disruptive impact on their education.

The government recognises the importance of continuity and stability throughout a looked-after child’s life.Under the care planning, placement and case review guidance and regulations, and Section 22c of the Children Act 1989, social workers, with the support of the local authority’s virtual school head, must minimise disruption to a child’s education. School changes should be minimised, and necessary transitions carefully planned and supported. Where change is unavoidable, their Personal Education Plan should outline arrangements to minimise disruption to education, especially during exam periods.The department is supporting local authorities to recruit foster carers and committed an additional £25 million, on top of a previously announced £15 million, to support further recruitment. We also recognise the need to support foster carers properly, in order to retain the carers we already have. Ensuring foster carer sufficiency is vital to enabling local authorities to provide local fostering homes, and keep children close to their school and community.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending eligibility for disabled parking bays for people who are of state pension age with mobility issues but are not in receipt of the higher rate of DLA or PIP.

Part IV of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 provides local authorities with powers to mark out bays for specific purposes, issue local parking permits, and use Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) to reserve spaces for specific purposes. This can be a voluntary local scheme, and the cost and nature of the concession would be for the local authority to decide.

Whether her Department has had discussions with the (a) University of Kent and (b) University of Greenwich on potential redundancies of (i) teaching and (ii) other staff following the formation of the London and South East University Group.

The department sees collaboration of this type as a positive pathway towards building greater resilience in the sector, especially where this will bring positive benefits to students.This partnership has been led by the universities themselves. However, the department will continue to work with both universities on any regulatory barriers to the proposed changes.As independent institutions, universities are responsible for decisions around staffing. Nevertheless, we expect all universities to engage constructively with their workforce when making decisions which may affect them.

Whether her Department has had discussions with the (a) University of Kent and (b) University of Greenwich on the potential impact of the formation of the London and South East University Group on courses available to students.

The department sees collaboration of this type as a positive pathway towards building greater resilience in the sector, especially where this will bring positive benefits to students.Universities are autonomous and independent from government. As such, they must make their own decisions about their business model and sustainability, and this partnership has been led by the universities themselves. However, the department will continue to work with both universities on any regulatory barriers to the proposed changes.Collaboration, if done effectively, can improve financial sustainability. This means providers may be better positioned to remain open, invest in their course provision, campus facilities and student support services, ultimately enhancing the overall student experience.When undertaking significant transformative activity, it is essential that providers consider the potential impact on students and staff. We would expect providers to clearly and proactively communicate any changes, ensuring transparency and minimising uncertainty during periods of transition.

If his Department will provide multi-year funding settlements for children's hospices in (a) Kent and (b) England after this financial year.

We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the children and young people’s hospice grant. Two children’s hospices based in Kent, Demelza Hospice and Ellenor Hospice, are receiving £1,750,000 and £189,000 respectively. I am currently having discussions with NHS England and Department officials about the funding arrangements for children and young people’s hospices throughout England beyond 2025/26. We hope to be able to provide further communication on this later this autumn. The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of support available to help families living in the UK after the death of a family member living abroad.

It is a top priority of the UK Government to ensure that we have the right people in the right places to support those who require consular services overseas. We regularly review the services we offer, including the support we provide to families in the UK when a British national dies abroad. We provide country-specific bereavement packs, which set out local laws and practices of the relevant country as well as support and information families can access in the UK. Our Consular staff are contactable 24/7, 365 days a year.

What discussions she has had with local authorities in areas where the EU Entry/Exit System will come into force on 12 October 2025.

The EU Entry/Exit System will be implemented at the juxtaposed border controls in the UK. Ministers and officials have been working closely with key affected stakeholders to ensure the necessary preparations are in place. This includes frequent engagement between the Department for Transport and local authorities including Kent County Council.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of cancelled surgeries (a) at the East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust and (b) in England as a result of increased humidity in operating theatres.

National Health Service organisations are locally responsible for their estate, including making decisions on the management of operating theatres. Guidance on ventilation in healthcare premises, including humidity, is provided in the Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 03-01: Specialised ventilation for healthcare premises, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/specialised-ventilation-for-healthcare-buildings/

With reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025, what discussions she has had with the British National (Overseas) (BHO) community on the potential merits of exempting BNO visa holders from the proposed extension of the settlement qualifying period.

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation.We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.

What discussions he has had with (a) the Nepalese Government and (b) Gurkha veteran representatives on bringing pensions for Gurkha soldiers who retired before 1997 in line with the standard British Army pension.

The UK Government greatly values the Gurkhas’ long and distinguished history of service in our Armed Forces and remains committed to supporting the welfare of Gurkha Veterans and their families in both the UK and Nepal. In March 2025, I met with the Nepali Ambassador H.E. Chandra Ghimire for a productive discussion that reflected our shared commitment to strengthening cooperation and addressing key concerns between Nepal and the UK. Additionally, in June 2025, Ministry of Defence officials met with representatives of the Nepali Government and Gurkha Veterans as part of the Bilateral Gurkha Veteran Welfare Committee’s Working Group, which continues to serve as a platform for constructive dialogue and collaboration. The 1948 Gurkha Pension Scheme is different to other Armed Forces Pension Schemes, but these differences are objectively and reasonably justified. The legal basis for the Scheme has been upheld by three Judicial Reviews since 2003, including the European Court of Human Rights in 2017.

What steps she is taking to phase out (a) animal testing and (b) testing on beagles at (i) MBR Acres and (ii) other facilities.

This Government has made a commitment to the long-term goal of phasing out animal testing in science and research. An immediate ban is not presently feasible due to international regulatory requirements for the safety testing of chemicals and medicines. Such tests may include dogs as an appropriate model. The number of Beagles bred is largely determined by the forecast needs of the pharmaceutical industry for safe and effective medicines.The Home Office assures that, in every research proposal, animals are replaced with non-animal alternatives wherever possible, the number of animals are reduced to the minimum necessary to achieve the result sought, and that, for those animals which must be used, procedures are refined as much as possible to minimise their suffering.The National Centre for the 3Rs have a project to create a Virtual second species to assess potential toxicity before commencing clinical trials. This is a cutting-edge initiative to develop computational models that simulate dog biology, aiming to ultimately replace the use of dogs in drug safety testing. It brings together pharmaceutical companies and researchers to create more ethical, accurate, and efficient alternatives.The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) is engaging with stakeholders to finalise a strategy to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal testing which is scheduled for publication later this year.