Written questions by Thomas.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of business rate reform to incentivise retail business investment in (a) Bromsgrove constituency and (b) across the United Kingdom.

The Government is creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century. At Autumn Budget 2024, we made the first step with the announcement of permanently lower tax rates for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure properties with rateable values below £500,000 from 2026-27. The Discussion Paper published at Budget sets out priority areas for reform and invites businesses to have a conversation with government about transforming the business rates system over the course of this Parliament, including how to incentivise investment.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of a 0% interest rate for student loans for the study of specific courses.

Student loans are subject to interest to ensure that those who can afford to do so contribute to the full cost of their degree, irrespective of the subject studied. The student loan system has significant borrower protections, and the government has not made an assessment of the impact of making interest rates dependent on the course studied. Interest rates on student loans do not affect monthly repayments made by borrowers. Regular repayments are based on a fixed percentage of earnings above the applicable student loan repayment threshold, not on amount borrowed or the rate of interest. If a borrower’s income drops, so does the amount they repay. If income is below the relevant student loan repayment threshold, or a borrower is not earning, then they do not have to make repayments at all. Any outstanding debt, including interest built up, is written off after the loan term ends, or in case of death or disability, at no detriment to the borrower. Interest rates are set annually in relation to the Retail Price Index (RPI). The government caps maximum student loan rates when needed to ensure that student loan interest rates do not exceed market rates for comparable unsecured personal loans. The government is determined that the higher education funding system should deliver for our economy, for universities, and for students. The department is considering the system and will continue to engage with stakeholders on this.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of deporting foreign nationals resident in the UK that engage in activities contrary to British values.

It is already government policy to pursue deportation where a foreign national:is convicted of an offence that has caused serious harm or if, the person has not yet been convicted of an offence, there is compelling circumstantial evidence that the person’s conduct or presence in the UK has or will cause serious harm;is a persistent offender;poses a threat to national security;is involved in gun crime or serious drug offending (regardless of the length of sentence received); orhas participated in or facilitated a sham marriage. In this Government’s first six months in office, we removed 2,580 foreign national offenders, a 23% increase on the same period twelve months prior.

If her Department will take steps to reduce levels of congestion in Hagley resulting from recurring roadworks.

Highway authorities have a range of powers to manage and co-ordinate road works on their road network and reduce the impact they have on congestion. Councils can also introduce lane rental schemes to target works on the busiest roads at the busiest times.But we know how frustrating it is when road works are poorly managed and run over time, which is why we have recently announced increases in penalties for utility companies and the extension of overrun charges to the weekend.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of building Westerly slip road access to the M42 from J1 of the M42.

There are no plans to introduce westbound access to the M42 at Junction 1 owing to the close proximity of the Junction to the M5 Catshill interchange, half a mile to the west. National Highways has determined that due to the significant amount of weaving and lane changing already required to access Catshill Interchange, adding a new merge at this location off Junction 1 would introduce a considerable and unacceptable level of safety risk to road users.

Whether she has plans to increase the grading of students that move to state schools from independent schools.

This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, to write to the hon. Member for Bromsgrove directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

What discussions she has had with West Midlands Railway on restoring the number of services between North Worcestershire and Birmingham to six per hour.

The Secretary of State has not had discussions with West Midlands Trains on this specific matter, but officials have done so. We keep service provision under constant review but have to balance the costs of providing additional services with the needs of taxpayers.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of capping annual net-migration into the United Kingdom.

I refer the Hon Member to the Answer provided on 05 December to Question UIN 16705.

Whether her Department plans to increase the Income Tax Personal Allowance.

At our first Budget, we decided not to extend the freeze - implemented by the previous Government - on the Personal Allowance. As a result, the Personal Allowance will rise with inflation from April 2028.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the Married Couple's Allowance.

The Married Couple’s Allowance allows married couples and civil partners to reduce their tax bill by 10 per cent of the allowance amount, provided that at least one partner was born before 6 April 1935. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government uprated the Married Couple’s Allowance in line with inflation, as is default policy, so that it is valued to be between £4,280 and £11,080 in 2024-25.

Whether her Department plans to fund new schools in Bromsgrove constituency.

Local authorities are responsible for providing enough school places for children in their area. Where the need for a new school has been identified, local authorities must currently seek proposals for a new academy, or free school, under section 6A of the Education and Inspections Act 2006. This is known as the ‘free school presumption’ process.Changes to the legal framework for opening new schools will be introduced through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. The measures will remove the legal presumption that all new schools are opened as academies, allowing local authorities to welcome proposals for all types of school and to put forward their own proposals where they choose to do so. This will ensure new schools are simply opened by the provider with the best offer for local children and families.The department provides the Basic Need capital grant to support local authorities to provide mainstream school places, based on their own pupil forecasts and capacity data. We provide High Needs Provision capital allocations to support the provision of new places and improve existing provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities or requiring alternative provision. Local authorities can use this funding to provide places in new schools or through expansions of existing schools.Financial contributions from housing developers are also an important way of helping to meet demand for new school places when housing developments are driving pupil numbers. It is for the Local Planning Authority (LPA) to secure developer contributions through section 106 agreements or the Community Infrastructure Levy and to decide on the local infrastructure needs that this contribution should support. The department encourages LPAs to secure significant contributions for new school places and work closely with colleagues planning school places in their area, including county councils when the local authority responsible for education is not the LPA.There are no centrally-delivered free school projects currently planned for the Bromsgrove area.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reducing academic barriers to entry to the nursing profession.

No such assessment has been made.Universities are responsible for setting their entry requirements in line with standards of proficiency, conduct and performance of nurses, as set out by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. It would not be appropriate for the Government to intervene in this process, to respect the independence and expertise of universities and regulators designing standards and curricular that ensure public safety.For those whom a traditional full-time university course is not practical or preferred, there is an alternative route into the nursing profession via a registered nurse degree apprenticeship.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the time period between MOTs for privately registered passenger vehicles under ten years of age from one to two years.

The MOT test is a vital part of keeping our roads safe. Many motorists rely on it to identify and fix potentially dangerous faults with their vehicle. Any changes made to the frequency of testing risk increasing the number of serious injuries and fatalities on our roads and must therefore be considered very carefully. The Department for Transport published a consultation on changing the date of the first MOT test in 2023. Of those who responded 84% opposed changing the date of the first test with the decision made not to change it. The associated call for evidence also asked for opinions on the frequency of testing, and the Department has been considering those responses as part of a wider review of the MOT. In that context there are currently no plans to alter the frequency of MOT testing.

What plans he has to increase the provision of radiographers in the NHS.

The refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan, which will be published this summer, will deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and will ensure that the National Health Service has the right people, including radiographers, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.To supplement the student loan support provided by the Department for Education, the Department of Health and Social Care provides non-repayable and non-income assessed funding via the NHS Learning Support Fund. All eligible nursing, midwifery and allied health professions students, including those studying radiography, receive a grant of £5,000 per academic year. Radiography students receive an additional specialist subject payment of £1,000 per year, with a further £2,000 per year available for childcare, as well as support for placement travel and accommodation costs. Students in exceptional hardship can also access up to a further £3,000 per year.

What steps her Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to promote apprenticeships in the vocational skills required to deliver the Government's target of 1.5m homes during this Parliament.

This government has an ambitious plan for re-building Britain, delivering 1.5 million homes in England in this Parliament. We want to support employers, including in construction, to develop the skills they need to thrive. That is why we are widening the apprenticeships offer into a levy-funded growth and skills offer, with apprenticeships at the heart, which will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers in England. As a first step, this will include shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors, helping more people learn new high-quality skills at work, fuelling innovation in businesses across the country, and providing high-quality entry pathways for young people. In addition, around 5,000 more construction apprenticeship places will be made available per year by the 2027/28 financial year thanks to an £140 million industry investment to get Britain building again. 32 new Homebuilding Skills Hubs will deliver fast-track training in critical areas such as bricklaying, groundwork, and site carpentry, to boost housebuilding and drive forward the government’s growth mission.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of mandatory design codes for local planning authorities.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 6867 on 15 October 2024 and to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 12 November 2024 (HCWS209).

If she will make it her policy to not build new asylum accommodation in Bromsgrove constituency.

The Government has no plans to build new asylum accommodation at the current time.Home Office relies on pre-existing accommodation to house asylum seekers.

What steps she is taking to reduce pensioner poverty in Bromsgrove.

The last Labour Government lifted over one million pensioners out of poverty, and this Government – despite having to make the tough decisions to deal with our fiscal inheritance – remains committed to giving pensioners the security they deserve in retirement. We are honouring our commitment to the Triple Lock throughout this parliament, with a 4.1% increase to the basic State Pension and the new State Pension this April. We are also increasing the standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit by 4.1%. The full yearly rate of the new State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,900 over the course of this parliament whilst the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,500. The Government also offers direct financial help to low-income pensioners through Pension Credit, the Warm Home Discount and (in England & Wales) Cold Weather Payments and Winter Fuel Payments. We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit. We want to ensure as many people as possible have access to this support and urge pensioners to check their eligibility. Pension Credit will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payments in future, alongside other benefits – including help with rent, council tax, fuel bills and a free TV licence for those over 75. That’s why Government is taking significant steps to raise awareness and maximise take-up. Low-income pensioners and others struggling with the cost of living should contact their local council to see what further support may be available to them. They may be able to receive support from energy support programs or through the Household Support Fund, a scheme providing discretionary support to those most in need towards the cost of essentials, such as food, energy and water. The Government has extended the Household Support Fund in England by a further year, (until 31 March 2026) – with funding of £742 million provided to enable this extension in England, plus additional funding for the devolved Governments to be spent at their discretion, as usual.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes made to the level of employer National Insurance contributions at the Autumn Budget 2024 on hospitality businesses in Bromsgrove.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy; and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations as well as an overview of the equality impacts. Estimates of the impact on businesses in Bromsgrove from changes to Employer NICs announced at Autumn Budget 2024 are not available.

What estimate she has made of the number of retail businesses operating as a front for money laundering.

The 2020 National Risk Assessment on Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing found that cash-based money laundering risks remain high, often involving cash-intensive businesses such as retail used to mask criminal sources of wealth. The Treasury collaborates closely with law enforcement to track criminal trends and allocate resources to address the most significant threats. An updated National Risk Assessment on Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, covering cash-based money laundering risks, will be published later this year.