Written questions by Sobel.

If her Department will consider the potential merits of implementing service standards for visa applications expedited in cases of compassionate circumstances.

Visa, Status and Information Services have a range of premium services including; the Priority Services and Super Priority Services for visa applications where needed: Get a faster decision on your visa or settlement application: Applying for a faster decision - GOV.UK. Visa applications are assessed on their individual merits and caseworkers will consider any compassionate grounds raised as part of the application assessment. Published policy guidance for each visa route will factor this where relevant. Caseworker guidance for each visa type can be found here: Visas and immigration operational guidance: Immigration staff guidance - detailed information - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab) Those seeking to raise compassionate grounds to expedite their application should still apply and pay for their visa application online in the normal way. They should alert their request to their chosen Visa Application Centre or by contacting UKVI here: Contact UK Visas and Immigration for help - GOV.UK. Where a case may contain individual factors which make it compelling or compassionate then the case will be expedited by UKVI staff and considered under its own merits. The Department does not have a separate customer service standards for these cases, and if expedited they will be concluded as quickly as possible. Further information relating to Visa waiting times can be found on GOV.UK: Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)

What steps her Department is taking to support the financial sustainability of childminders in the context of the removal of the wear and tear allowance.

This department is taking a range of measures to support the financial sustainability of childminding businesses and other early years providers. From April 2026, local authorities will be required to pass at least 97% of their funding directly to providers, an increase from 96%.We are also working with local authorities and others to ensure that childminders and other early years providers can be paid monthly for the funded hours they provide, making their income more stable. From 1 November 2024, the government introduced new flexibilities to help childminders join and stay in the profession, supporting the government’s commitment to roll out expanded childcare entitlements and give children the best start in life.In addition, the expansion of the early years entitlements will benefit childminders in different ways. The national average three and four-year-old hourly funding rate of local authorities is increasing by 4.1%, the two-year-old hourly funding rate is increasing by 3.3%, and the nine months to two-year-old hourly funding rate is increasing by 3.4%.

If his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of standardising the number of NHS-funded In Vitro Fertilisation cycles available to patients across England.

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs), based on their population’s clinical needs. We are working with NHS England to understand and improve the offer around National Health Service-funded fertility services, including how best to support further research and data collection.Revised NICE fertility guidelines are due for publication in Spring, setting clear expectations for commissioners. These guidelines will establish a national standard for consistent provision of fertility services across England.We expect ICBs to commission fertility services consistent with these new guidelines, ensuring equal access to treatment across England.

What assessment he has made the potential impact of the implementation of guidance on trauma-informed practice on staff (a) culture and (b) practice.

No assessment has been made. NHS England published their trauma-informed and harm aware in-patient care guidance in October 2025, and it is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/trauma-informed-harm-aware-inpatient-care/The guidance supports National Health Service staff working in mental health, learning disability, and autism inpatient settings to make services more trauma-informed and harm aware.Also available to NHS staff is an e-learning module which focuses on trauma-informed care and supporting the workforce to be more trauma sensitive in the way care is delivered, with the aim of fostering a trauma sensitive culture. Further information on the e-learning module is available at the following link:https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/trauma-informed-care/

Whether his Department has conducted research into the potential impacts on long-term rehabilitation of Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences.

Section 67 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 requires the Secretary of State to prepare and publish an annual report about the steps taken to support the rehabilitation of IPP and Detention for Public Protection (DPP) offenders and their progress towards release from prison or licence termination and lay the report before Parliament.Although there has not been research conducted in this area the Government published its latest IPP Annual Report on 17 July 2025, which included a commitment for HMPPS Psychology Services to complete a review of the Never Released IPP cohort. The review aims to ensure the current barriers to IPP progression are considered and services reviewed relating to these findings to support IPP progression. We will report on the outcome of this review in our next Annual Report, which is due to be published this summer.The 2025 Annual Report also contained a refreshed version of the IPP Action Plan, which includes measurable targets to ensure transparency and accountability.Through the IPP Action Plan we have significantly improved support for those serving the IPP sentence, with greater access to rehabilitation and mental health support.Changes we have made in the Sentencing Act 2026 will provide IPP offenders with an earlier opportunity for licence termination, whilst allowing suitable time for support and rehabilitation in the community and ensuring victims and the public are best protected from harm.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of creating a new brown tourist sign for ruined abbeys that excludes the depiction of a spire to prevent confusion between ruined abbeys and working churches.

The Department has made no assessment of the potential merits of creating a new brown tourist sign for ruined abbeys.

If his Department will consider the potential merits of retrospectively abolishing Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences.

It is right that the Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence was abolished. Public protection will always be the top priority and abolishing the IPP sentence retrospectively would result in prisoners being released whom the independent Parole Board has determined are too dangerous. This would pose an unacceptable risk of harm to victims and the public.We are determined to support those serving IPP sentences, but not in a way that undermines public protection. This is why the Government made changes in the Sentencing Act 2026 to provide IPP offenders with an earlier opportunity for licence termination, whilst allowing suitable time for support and rehabilitation in the community and ensuring victims and the public are best protected from harm

Whether his Department has conducted research into the potential merits of retrospectively abolishing Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences.

It is right that the Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence was abolished. The Justice Committee and various organisations have considered a resentencing exercise but none have identified an approach that would not pose too great a risk to the public.Whilst this Government does want to make progress in relation to IPP prisoners, we cannot take any steps that would put victims or the public at risk.

What the average timeframe is for decisions on fee waiver applications for partner visas.

Fee Waiver data is published in tables FW_01 – FW_03 of the ‘Immigration and Protection dataset’ found here: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK, However, the specific information requested is not currently available from the published statistics because fee waiver applications are not categorised by a specific route such as "partner", instead, fee waiver applications include everyone applying on Family and Private Life grounds. The requested data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative estimate her Department has made of the cost of (a) veterinary medicines and (b) equivalent human medicines.

Veterinary medicine is a private service, including the prescription and supply of veterinary medicines. The Government does not regulate the cost of medicines and pricing structures are not subject to legislative controls. The costs of veterinary medicines are controlled by market forces. The Government is not informed of the prices of individual products and has not estimated the comparative costs of veterinary medicines and human medicines.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has considered introducing a cap on veterinary prescription fees.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have been conducting a full market investigation into the supply of veterinary services for household pets in the UK since 23 May 2024. On 15 October 2025, the CMA released its Provisional Decision Report (PDR). The remedies raised in this report are subject to the CMAs final report which is due to be release in the Spring. One of the remedies being considered is a cap on the price of written veterinary prescriptions. Defra welcomes the CMA’s market investigation into the veterinary sector and looks forward to continuing to engage with the CMA throughout this process. Defra will consider any remedies from the CMAs final report.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of freezing Local Housing Allowance rates in 2026-27 on private renters.

At Autumn Budget, the Secretary of State reviewed Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates and confirmed in his Written Ministerial Statement that LHA rates would be maintained at their current 2024/25 levels for 2026/27. The impacts on private renters were considered alongside a range of factors, including rent levels across Great Britain, the challenging fiscal context and welfare priorities which included our commitment to reduce child poverty by removing the two-child limit which will bring 450,000 children out of poverty. Renters facing a shortfall in meeting their housing costs can apply for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) from local authorities. From April 2026 DHPs for England will be incorporated into the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF).

What progress has been made on increasing capacity for adult ADHD assessments in Leeds since 2024; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of those measures on waiting times.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. The NICE guideline does not recommend a maximum waiting time for people to receive an assessment for ADHD or a diagnosis, however it sets out best practice on providing a diagnosis.NHS West Yorkshire ICB continues to prioritise improvements for adults with suspected ADHD, focusing on three key areas: expanding diagnostic capacity, strengthening early support within primary care, and improving pathway safety and responsiveness. These changes and improved clinical resilience are beginning to have a positive impact on waiting times for adults in Leeds.More specifically, individuals transferred to accredited providers are being seen faster than if they had remained on the National Health Service trust waiting list. Additionally, Leeds NHS ADHD service waiting list growth, which had previously been rising rapidly, has now stabilised due to improved referral management and clearer access criteria. Urgent and complex patients are now prioritised more consistently by the NHS trust provider, improving safety and reducing risks associated with delayed assessment or medication oversight. Lastly, the ADHD referral hub is reducing unnecessary diagnostic demand through needs-led support; more than one quarter of adults supported through the hub have not required an onward referral for ADHD assessment.For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan; and has released technical guidance to ICBs to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving data quality and publishing more localised data. NHS England intends to publish data at an ICB level in 2026/27. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs. More details on the improvement plan are available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-tools-and-services/data-services/neurodevelopmental-data-hub/adhd-data-improvement-planMy rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. This independent review will inform our approach to enabling people with mental health conditions, ADHD and autistic people to have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities.

What steps her Department plans to take to help speed up decision-making for asylum cases; and what targets her Department has set for improving decision-making times.

The Home Office is investing in innovative techniques, including AI, to explore how we can improve productivity, speed up the processing of asylum cases awaiting an initial decision, and restore order in the asylum system.The proportion of asylum claims receiving an initial decision within six months is at the highest level since Q3 2017 (60.6%).Asylum decisions are subject to stringent quality checks to ensure that claims are properly considered, decisions are sound, and protection is granted to those who genuinely need it.We are working to improve the speed of decisions and reduce the number of outstanding claims; but there will always be complex cases, and it is right we take time to work through them carefully.

What steps she is taking to improve the quality of initial decision-making in asylum cases.

We have adopted a plan to improve the quality of asylum casework, this includes improved training for decision makers and feedback loops to ensure we are learning from appeals to get decisions right first time.Asylum decisions are subject to stringent quality checks to ensure that claims are properly considered, decisions are sound, and protection is granted to those who genuinely need it.Each quality assessment will rate the impact of any casework or process errors against the agreed marking standards. Asylum decision quality data is published in the ADQ_01A table found in Migration transparency data - GOV.UK of the Immigration and Protection data.Quality assessments must adhere to Home Office interview and decision standards. These standards are shared with Decision Makers to improve understanding of quality scores when receiving feedback.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Home Ownership for people with a long-term disability scheme will receive funding for the 2026/2027 financial year.

The Home Ownership for People with Long-term Disabilities scheme is a specialist form of shared ownership and we have confirmed that it will continue to be funded under the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme where proposals meet programme requirements and deliver value for money.To support housing association participation, my Department is working with Homes England to publish further guidance on eligibility and delivery, including for specialist shared ownership models such as the Home Ownership for People with Long‑term Disabilities scheme.

Communities and Local Government, what steps were taken to encourage housing associations to partake in the Home Ownership for people with Long-term Disabilities scheme.

The Home Ownership for People with Long-term Disabilities scheme is a specialist form of shared ownership and we have confirmed that it will continue to be funded under the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme where proposals meet programme requirements and deliver value for money.To support housing association participation, my Department is working with Homes England to publish further guidance on eligibility and delivery, including for specialist shared ownership models such as the Home Ownership for People with Long‑term Disabilities scheme.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of raising the minimum income threshold for student maintenance loans in line with inflation.

This government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to attend higher education. We are future proofing our maintenance loan offer by increasing maintenance loans in line with forecast inflation every academic year from 2026/27 onwards, and making all care leavers automatically eligible for the maximum maintenance loan regardless of their income from 2026/27.We are also introducing new targeted maintenance grants from the 2028/29 academic year, which will provide disadvantaged students with up to £1,000 extra per year, on top of existing maintenance loans, increasing cash in student’s pockets, without increasing their debt.We need to ensure that student funding system is financially sustainable. Around £20.7 billion of student loans administered by the Student Loans Company were issued in the 2024/25 financial year, of which £9.1 billion of maintenance loans were issued to undergraduate students.The current system targets the highest levels of support at students with household incomes of £25,000 or less, who need it most.

With reference to the White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed Indefinite Leave to Remain reforms on existing labour and skills shortages in key sectors of the UK economy.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, will raise the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years.We are proposing a series of tests that will measure a person’s contribution to this country and either reduce or increase the amount of time to settlement. This will include work undertaken by the individual. This earned settlement model and the tests which measure contribution are currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.The consultation also seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement.Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.The final model will also be subject to equality and economic impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed £50,270 threshold for eligibility for five year Indefinite Leave to Remain on Skilled Worker visa holders employed in lower wage regions.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, will raise the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years.We are proposing a series of tests that will measure a person’s contribution to this country and either reduce or increase the amount of time to settlement. This will include work undertaken by the individual. This earned settlement model and the tests which measure contribution are currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.The consultation also seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement.Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.The final model will also be subject to equality and economic impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.