Written questions by Aquarone.

With reference to her Department's press release entitled We’re recruiting Asylum Decision Makers across the UK, published on 28 April 2025, how many asylum decisionmakers have been hired since 28 April.

The Home Office is maintaining sufficient resource in place to clear the Asylum backlog.The number of full time equivalent (FTE) asylum caseworkers employed per month until June 2025 is published in the ASY_05(M) tab of the published migration transparency statistics, located here: Immigration and protection data: Q2 2025 (Migration transparency data - GOV.UK)At the end of June 2025 there were 2,057 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Asylum Caseworking Staff.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has considered developing an invasive American signal crayfish eradication strategy in (a) England and (b) Norfolk.

American signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) are listed as Species of Special Concern and actions such as their commercial use, release into the environment and transport are banned under the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019. Signal crayfish are also subject to management measures aimed at containing and controlling their populations where possible. This means that in England this species is more closely regulated through a system of Exclusion and Containment zones to prevent further spread. Crayfish trapping in the ‘exclusion zones’ is only allowed for conservation, scientific, or fisheries management purposes, and no commercial use of any kind is permitted.Trapping of signal crayfish is allowed in the containment zones (where an authorisation has been granted), but sale of live Signal crayfish is not permitted. Crayfish must be dispatched at the place of capture or taken to a licensed processing facility. Facilities are not licensed to obtain or receive crayfish taken from exclusion zones. To reduce the threat of this species being spread further, there is a total ban on the movement of live crayfish outside of licenced activity. More information about the public consultation which led to this policy can be found here.

Pursuant to her Answer of 21 July 2025 Question 68537 on Emergencies: Sirens, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that communities in (a) coastal areas and (b) that have limited or no phone signal receive those alerts.

The Emergency Alert system is a UK Government capability that allows time critical life saving information to be broadcast to phones within a certain area. This was introduced in April 2023, and has now been used five times. Emergency Alerts are instantaneous and the Government can send alerts directly to all compatible mobile phones within a geo-targeted area. A list of compatible mobile phones can be found on https://www.gov.uk/alerts/how-alerts-work. A second national test of the Emergency Alerts system will take place on Sunday 7 September around 3pm in the afternoon. This is just one of many capabilities available to first responders in order to warn and inform the public of a risk to life. Broadcast media including local radio and online news websites disseminate important information, and specifically for adverse weather, warning methods include flood alerts via the Flood Warning Service, Met Office weather warnings and knocking door-to-door when safe.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of visual field testing for driving license holders diagnosed with glaucoma in (a) North Norfolk constituency, (b) Norfolk and (c) England.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) vision testing supplier, Specsavers, currently has 360 stores across England that provide visual field testing for DVLA purposes. In Norfolk six stores offer this service with the closest stores to North Norfolk constituency in Norwich or Wisbech. Specsavers is contractually required to ensure that an optometrist is available within a 25-mile radius of a customer applying for a licence. Where this is not possible Specsavers engages with local independent stores to provide the necessary services (typically this has only been in the Highlands of Scotland)

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of HMRC confidentiality rules on the ability of the Child Maintenance Service to (a) suspend and (b) revise liability, where possible fraudulent child benefit claims are under investigation by HMRC.

To qualify for maintenance payments a child must meet the Child Maintenance Service's criteria. They must be:under 20 years of age andin full time non-advanced education or approved training, andeligible for Child Benefit. They must also be habitually resident in the UK and usually living in the same household as the receiving parent. Child maintenance defines a child the same way as Child Benefit does to offer consistency across rules. Child benefit is not used as a blunt tool in determining who may be considered a receiving parent and the CMS can consider multiple different forms of evidence when determining who is the primary carer. If a paying parent believes that the Child Maintenance (CM) liability should cease because a qualifying child (QC) no longer meets the statutory definition of a qualifying young person but checks with His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) disagree, the CM caseworker can ask the receiving parent to provide;1. verbal confirmation of the QCs status if they agree that the paying parent’s statement is correct, or2. where they disagree with the paying parent, a letter from the school or college confirming the QCs status, or3. written confirmation from an employer that the QC has started work. Where the paying parent believes that Child Benefit is claimed fraudulently, the paying parent will be signposted to report the fraud to HMRC at Gov.UK. Child Maintenance Service make automated monthly requests to HMRC asking for all children aged 16 to 19 who are included in its caseload, to establish whether Child Benefit is still in payment. The CMS has a Financial Investigations Unit (FIU), that can investigate complex cases. This is a specialist team which can investigate the accuracy of information the CMS is given by either parent.

What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the adequacy of the availability of glaucoma testing for driving license renewal in (a) North Norfolk constituency, (b) Norfolk and (c) England.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not require driving licence holders or applicants to be tested for glaucoma. However, drivers are legally required to inform the DVLA if they have been diagnosed with glaucoma in both eyes, or if they have been advised by their optician or optometrist that they do not meet the eyesight standards for driving. When the DVLA is notified of a glaucoma diagnosis, the driver will be referred for a visual field test. The results of this test will be used to determine whether the individual concerned meets the required eyesight standards for driving.

Pursuant to his Answer of 15 July 2025 to Question 66761 on Emergencies: Mobile Phones, what steps she is taking to support communities who have (a) no emergency sirens and (b) had their emergency sirens removed.

In the UK, we have a number of public warning and informing mechanisms that can be used in different situations when there is a risk to life. This includes the Emergency Alert system, introduced in April 2023, which has been used five times. Emergency Alerts are instantaneous and the Government can send alerts directly to all mobile phones within a geo-targeted area. A second national test of the emergency alerts system will take place on Sunday 7 September around 3pm in the afternoon. Other warning methods include flood alerts via the Flood Warning Service, Met Office weather warnings and knocking door-to-door when safe.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of case backlog at the Valuation Office Agency; and what steps she is taking to reduce this.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is working as quickly as possible to clear cases, and moving staff to where there is the greatest customer demand. The VOA is focusing on the oldest cases first, and where customers are facing financial hardship. The VOA is replacing IT systems with modern cloud-based platforms that will deliver significant efficiencies. It is also upskilling its workforce to ensure there is flexibility in managing a wide range of cases and improving its digital services to make it easier for customers to self-serve.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 62866 on Neighbourhood Plans: Finance, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of this policy on levels of council tax.

Precept levels are decided by parish councils, considering the needs of their community. The government expects parish councils to consider carefully the burden they are placing on local taxpayers.

With reference to the publication entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan published on 8 July 2025, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of emergency alert systems in rural areas with (a) poor and (b) no mobile signal.

Emergency Alerts are broadcast through mobile phone masts, and will be received by phones connected to the targeted masts. 95% of the UK landmass has 4G/5G coverage. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is continuing to work with the UK telecommunications industry to deliver 4G and 5G mobile connectivity to places where there is limited or no coverage. Emergency alerts are part of a collection of warning and informing systems that we use in the UK for emergency response scenarios. Other methods include local sirens and knocking door-to-door when safe, as well as providing advice through media such as TV and radio.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the funding formula on the viability of small schools in rural areas.

The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula (NFF) accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor.In the 2025/26 financial year, the sparsity factor provides eligible primary schools up to £57,400, and all other eligible schools up to £83,400. In addition to this, all small and rural schools have benefited from the increase to core factors in the NFF in 2025/26, including the NFF lump sum set at £145,100. The lump sum provides a fixed amount of funding that is particularly beneficial to small schools, as it is not affected by pupil numbers.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 36916 on British Overseas Territories: Companies, what discussions he has had with the British Virgin Islands government on the reasons why it did not implement a register of beneficial ownership by the end of June 2025.

At the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in November 2024, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) committed to implement a register of beneficial ownership accessible to those with a legitimate interest offering the maximum possible degree of access and transparency, whilst containing the necessary safeguards to protect the right to privacy in line with its constitution, by June 2025.Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials have been in regular contact with the BVI to press for improvements to its register and to ensure that it meets its JMC commitment. The BVI published an updated policy on its register on 23 June. In my discussions with Premier Wheatley, I will continue to make clear the importance of further improvements in the BVI's proposal, as well as timely delivery of the register. My Written Ministerial Statement of 3 July provides further details of the next steps.I have raised this issue on a number of occasions recently with the Premier both bilaterally and in the context of wider meetings with OT leaders. I look forward to meeting him again in person soon to raise this and other matters. Our expectations remain the same.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her polices of trends in levels of theft of Royal Mail post boxes; and whether she has had recent discussions with Royal Mail on those trends.

In the year ending June 2024, there were 6,290 ‘Theft of mail’ offences recorded by the police across England and Wales, a 26% decrease compared with the previous year.Theft, including the theft of post boxes is a serious issue. This Government recognises the distress and disruption that theft and vandalism can cause, not only to businesses, but also to local communities and critical infrastructure.That is why we are putting 13,000 additional police officers and personnel into neighbourhood policing roles. This will ensure that everyone has a named, contactable officer, responsive to local problems including the theft of Royal Mail post boxes.The 2025-26 final Police Funding Settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.2 billion when compared with the 2024-25 settlement and includes an additional £200 million to kickstart the first phase of the additional neighbourhood policing roles.

What steps she is taking to encourage more young people to undertake vocational training to become (a) plumbers and (b) electricians.

The department continues to make available education and training opportunities in electrical and plumbing sectors, including:A range of apprenticeships, including the level 3 plumbing and domestic heating technician standard and the level 3 domestic electrician standard. We are also developing foundation apprenticeships in priority sectors, including construction from August.A T Level in Building Services Engineering for Construction provides students with the core knowledge and skills needed for entry to a range of occupations in the electrical and plumbing sectors.Investment of an additional £625 million in a construction skills package, expected to deliver up to 60,000 additional skilled construction workers, including in electrical and plumbing, this Parliament. This includes establishing ten technical excellence colleges specialising in construction skills, opening in September 2025.The department continues to raise awareness amongst young people of the vocational training that is available. Secondary schools have legal requirements to provide independent careers guidance, including at least six opportunities for providers of technical education or apprenticeships to speak to all pupils. Our government-funded network of Careers Hubs, coordinated by the Careers and Enterprise Company, supports schools and colleges to maximise these opportunities.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of drop-outs from vocational courses; and what steps she is taking to increase course completion rates.

The department's Qualification Achievement Rates (QARs) include official statistics on levels of achievement for a range of qualifications, including vocational learning. Latest published statistics show overall achievement rates within the 19+ education and training cohort have increased from 86.8% in 2022/23 to 87.4% in 2023/24, an increase of 0.6 percentage points. Compared with 2021/22, they are up by 1.2 percentage points. Links to QAR data from current and previous years is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/introduction-to-qualification-achievement-rates-qars.Retention rates are also improving at ages 16 to 18. The retained and assessed rate for students who finished their T Level across 16 subjects in summer 2024 was up five percentage points from the previous year in over 10 subjects. The rate for large Vocational Technical Qualifications was up three percentage points. Further details on provisional T Level results for the 2023/24 academic year are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/provisional-t-level-results/2023-24.Alongside T Levels, the department continues to develop and improve qualifications to ensure that they meet the needs of learners. Newly reformed qualifications will become available for delivery at levels 2 and 3 at the start of the next academic year, and we are in the process of approving new level 3 qualifications for delivery from August 2026. These are high-quality, aligned to occupational standards in technical routes, and offer learners clear routes to higher education or skilled employment.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing funding for the development of neighbourhood plans on parish councils.

As part of the Spending Review we’ve looked at all the services and programmes the government supports to identify those that should now be in a position to support themselves without ongoing funding. After more than a decade of taxpayer support, we believe that support for neighbourhood planning groups should be possible without further government funding. Parish and Town Councils have access to their own resources which they can choose to use for neighbourhood planning if they wish. With the end to the national structure for support, planning consultants should be able to innovate and offer groups lower cost support more targeted at their particular ambitions and needs.

What steps his Department is taking to help support the establishment of a dental school at the University of East Anglia.

We would like to congratulate the University of East Anglia on its newly awarded dental school status and its ambitions to train the future dentistry workforce. Tackling the geographical disparities in access to National Health Service dentistry is vital, and the Government welcomes efforts to help to deliver this ambition.Government approval or funding is not required to establish a new dental school. Provided that a prospective dental school meets the requirements of the General Dental Council and the Office for Students, it would be considered for any future Government-funded training places.We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. It will be more empowered, more flexible, and more fulfilled. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure that the NHS has the right people in the right places, and with the right skills, to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it. From now on, we will ensure that staff will be better treated, and have better training, more fulfilling roles and hope for the future, so that they can achieve more.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the minimum income requirements for spousal visas on pensioners who are unable to increase their income.

The Home Secretary commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the financial requirements in the Family Immigration Rules. Once published, we will consider their report and decide on any policy changes, consistent with the objectives of the Government’s Immigration White Paper.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of postbox theft; and what steps her Department is taking to tackle it.

In the year ending December 2024, there were 7,998 ‘Theft of mail’ offences recorded by the police across England and Wales, a 24% increase compared with the previous year.The Government recognises the profound impact theft can have on individuals and wider communities. Key to tackling all types of theft is having more police on the streets. That is why we are putting 13,000 additional police officers and personnel into neighbourhood policing roles. This will ensure that everyone has a named, contactable officer, responsive to local problems.The 2025-26 final Police Funding Settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.2 billion when compared with the 2024-25 settlement and includes an additional £200 million to kickstart the first phase of the additional neighbourhood policing roles.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of rules on pension entitlements for survivors of police officers on levels of loneliness.

The 2015 police pension scheme is the scheme currently open to serving police officers. This scheme provides life-long survivor benefits for spouses, civil partners and unmarried partners, including those who remarry or cohabit after losing a spouse. These benefits were first introduced for all eligible police officers in the 2006 police pension scheme, which was superseded by the 2015 scheme.For officers who joined policing prior to 2006, the 1987 police pension scheme provides a pension for the widow, widower or civil partner of a police officer who dies. In common with most other public service pension schemes of that time, these benefits cease to be payable where the widow, widower or civil partner remarries or cohabits with another partner.From 1 April 2015, the 1987 police pension scheme was amended to allow widows, widowers and civil partners of police officers who have died as a result of an injury on duty to receive their survivor benefits for life regardless of remarriage, civil partnership or cohabitation.