Written questions by Dinenage.

Food and Rural Affairs, what changes to legislation the Circular Economy Taskforce is considering to help increase the size of the repair and reuse economy.

This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. We have convened a Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising experts from industry, academia, and civil society, to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The strategy will map our transition to a circular economy, supported by a series of roadmaps that detail the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis. Defra recognises that repair and reuse are fundamental tenets of any circular economy, and a successful transition aims to eliminate waste and promote sustainability through reuse and resource efficiency. We will consider the evidence for appropriate action, including legislative changes, right across the economy as we develop the strategy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing regional Circular Economy Champions to support the Circular Economy Taskforce.

This Government recognises that delivering circular economy principles through local action is key for any Circular Economy Strategy. We believe it is crucial to listen to high-performing and high-ambition local, regional, and combined authorities, as well as private sector bodies, that are already, or could potentially develop and deliver, local circular economy initiatives. As ambitious, impactful, and replicable examples which other local and combined authorities, and/or businesses could adopt, we are engaging with these organisations, together with the Circular Economy Taskforce, as we develop our Circular Economy Strategy for England.

Whether he plans to establish an MPs' hotline for the Defence Business Services.

There are no plans to establish a hotline for Members of Parliament to contact Defence Business Services officials. Ministers are accountable for the policies, decisions and actions of their Departments. Parliamentarians have direct access to Ministers, and any information they require from the Department should be provided by Ministers. This guidance is intended to ensure that only accurate and releasable information is provided to Parliament and that Ministers can assure themselves of that before it is released.

How much and what proportion of funding made available through the Equitable Life Payment Scheme was returned to her Department.

The Equitable Life Payment Scheme has been fully wound down and closed since 2016, and there are no plans to reopen any decisions relating to the Payment Scheme or review the £1.5 billion funding allocation previously made to it. The remainder of the £1.5 billion has been set aside for future payments to the With-Profits Annuitants.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2025 to Question 31001 on Veterans: War Pensions, what the average acceptance rate is for applications made by (a) British nuclear test and (b) other veterans to the War Pension Scheme.

The War Pensions Computer System has no facility to uniquely identify those who participated in the nuclear tests. The paper claim file may include a copy of the Nuclear Test Veterans (NTV) Priority Claim Request or additional information on whether the claimant was involved in nuclear testing, however this information is not always present. To accurately identify the number of NTVs who applied for, and received compensation would involve a manual interrogation of all War Pension files and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The average outcome rates for cleared first claims under the War Pension Scheme for the past ten years can be found in the table below: Outcome rates of cleared First Claims1 under the War Pension Scheme by financial year, percentages2. 1 April 2014 – 31 March 2024 Claim Type2014/152015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Successful374%75%74%75%76%73%75%71%72%67%Awarded 0%17%17%17%16%16%16%14%18%17%21%Rejected8%8%9%9%9%11%11%11%12%12%Sources: War Pensions Computer System (WPCS)Please note, veterans who were rejected may have subsequently appealed the decision or made a further second claim which may have resulted in an awarded a War Pension.The sum of the % subtotals may not sum to 100% due to rounding.Includes those awarded a gratuity payment (at 1 to 19%) and a war pension (at 20 to 100%) and those with an unknown disablement percentage.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2025 to Question 31001 on Veterans: War Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the level of the burden on British nuclear test veterans applying to the War Pension Scheme to prove they had experienced a radiation dose.

This Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise their Service and the huge contribution they have made to the UK’s security. I am committed to looking into questions around medical records. That is why I have commissioned officials to look into what information the Department holds in relation to the medical testing of Service personnel who took part in the UK nuclear weapons tests. This is a priority and is now underway. Altogether there were around 22,000 participants in the nuclear weapons tests, of which up to just over 6,000 veterans were involved in two or more operations. Dose monitoring records are available for 4,807 (23%) of the around 22,000 veterans considered in the most recent analysis of the data in the Nuclear Weapons Test Participants Study – a long-term epidemiological study of the health of veterans who were present at UK nuclear testing between 1952 and 1967. It has been undertaken by the National Radiological Protection Board and Cancer Research UK (formerly the Imperial Cancer Research Fund) following a commission from the Ministry of Defence in 1983. There have been four studies completed to date, which so far have concluded that Nuclear Test Veterans have a similar incidence of cancer and, in general, a longer healthy life expectancy that the control group of individuals. Nuclear Test Veterans are already entitled to apply for compensation under the War Pension Scheme. There is no time limit for claiming, however if a claim is made more than seven years after termination of service, as would be the case for Nuclear Test Veterans, the claimant is granted the benefit of doubt when there is uncertainty about whether the disablement is linked to or worsened by their service. Factors such as being on operations or in a hazardous environment can support a service-related claim. Claims handlers will review historical records, including medical records, to establish a causal link to service for Nuclear Test Veterans seeking compensation.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2025 to Question 31001 on Veterans: War Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of dose records kept by the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

This Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise their Service and the huge contribution they have made to the UK’s security. I am committed to looking into questions around medical records. That is why I have commissioned officials to look into what information the Department holds in relation to the medical testing of Service personnel who took part in the UK nuclear weapons tests. This is a priority and is now underway. Altogether there were around 22,000 participants in the nuclear weapons tests, of which up to just over 6,000 veterans were involved in two or more operations. Dose monitoring records are available for 4,807 (23%) of the around 22,000 veterans considered in the most recent analysis of the data in the Nuclear Weapons Test Participants Study – a long-term epidemiological study of the health of veterans who were present at UK nuclear testing between 1952 and 1967. It has been undertaken by the National Radiological Protection Board and Cancer Research UK (formerly the Imperial Cancer Research Fund) following a commission from the Ministry of Defence in 1983. There have been four studies completed to date, which so far have concluded that Nuclear Test Veterans have a similar incidence of cancer and, in general, a longer healthy life expectancy that the control group of individuals. Nuclear Test Veterans are already entitled to apply for compensation under the War Pension Scheme. There is no time limit for claiming, however if a claim is made more than seven years after termination of service, as would be the case for Nuclear Test Veterans, the claimant is granted the benefit of doubt when there is uncertainty about whether the disablement is linked to or worsened by their service. Factors such as being on operations or in a hazardous environment can support a service-related claim. Claims handlers will review historical records, including medical records, to establish a causal link to service for Nuclear Test Veterans seeking compensation.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2025 to Question 31001 on Veterans: War Pensions, what the minimum recordable level of radiation dose is for establishing radiation exposure.

Exposure to a measurable level of ionising radiation is determined by a radiological dosimetry specialist report. Specialist reports are obtained from Defence Radiation and Protection Services and Atomic Weapons Establishment as they hold the relevant records and dosimetry. Personal dosimeters used by nuclear test veterans were of the passive film badge type which embody a piece of film material sensitive to radiation. When processed, the degree of darkening of the film, if any, indicates the level of radiation exposure. The film badges are sensitive down to 0·2 millisievert (20 millirem).

Innovation and Technology, what the criteria were for appointing members of the Digital Centre Design Panel; and whether those members will provide declarations of interests for publication.

The Digital Centre Design Advisory Panel was established to advise, test ideas and constructively challenge our thinking as we develop the new digital centre of government.DSIT selected individuals who bring a diverse set of views and experience from across the UK tech sector, academics, digital government, regional growth and international voices, including co-chairs Martha Lane Fox and Paul Willmott.DSIT holds the appointee’s declarations of interest and will publish them in line with Cabinet Office guidance.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2025 to Question 31001 on Veterans: War Pensions, how many and what proportion of British nuclear test veterans have a radiation dose record; how many and what proportion of veterans have a radiation dose record for every tour they undertook; and whether his Department plans to provide compensation to British Nuclear Test Veterans whose records are (a) missing and (b) otherwise unavailable.

This Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise their Service and the huge contribution they have made to the UK’s security. I am committed to looking into questions around medical records. That is why I have commissioned officials to look into what information the Department holds in relation to the medical testing of Service personnel who took part in the UK nuclear weapons tests. This is a priority and is now underway. Altogether there were around 22,000 participants in the nuclear weapons tests, of which up to just over 6,000 veterans were involved in two or more operations. Dose monitoring records are available for 4,807 (23%) of the around 22,000 veterans considered in the most recent analysis of the data in the Nuclear Weapons Test Participants Study – a long-term epidemiological study of the health of veterans who were present at UK nuclear testing between 1952 and 1967. It has been undertaken by the National Radiological Protection Board and Cancer Research UK (formerly the Imperial Cancer Research Fund) following a commission from the Ministry of Defence in 1983. There have been four studies completed to date, which so far have concluded that Nuclear Test Veterans have a similar incidence of cancer and, in general, a longer healthy life expectancy that the control group of individuals. Nuclear Test Veterans are already entitled to apply for compensation under the War Pension Scheme. There is no time limit for claiming, however if a claim is made more than seven years after termination of service, as would be the case for Nuclear Test Veterans, the claimant is granted the benefit of doubt when there is uncertainty about whether the disablement is linked to or worsened by their service. Factors such as being on operations or in a hazardous environment can support a service-related claim. Claims handlers will review historical records, including medical records, to establish a causal link to service for Nuclear Test Veterans seeking compensation.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies on VAT of the British Hair Consortium’s report entitled Securing the future of UK hairdressing and beauty: The economic, fiscal & societal case for VAT reform, published in February 2025.

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is also the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £171 billion in 2024/25. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.Changes to the VAT threshold have to be carefully balanced considering the potential benefits to small businesses, the economy as a whole and tax revenues.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies on apprenticeship of the British Hair Consortium’s report entitled Securing the future of UK hairdressing and beauty: The economic, fiscal & societal case for VAT reform, published in February 2025.

The hair and beauty sector have developed several high-quality apprenticeships, including the level 2 hairdressing professional standard, and the department continues to encourage employers in the sector to use apprenticeships to develop the skilled workforces they need.To support smaller employers to access apprenticeships, the government pays the full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21, and for apprentices aged 22 to 24 who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan or have been in local authority care. Employers can also benefit from £1000 payments when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, or apprentices aged 19 to 24 who have an EHC plan or have been in local authority care. Employers can choose how they spend these payments.As the report highlights, we recognise that the increase to employer National Insurance contributions will have a varying impact across all sectors. Employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25, where they earn less than £50,270 a year.This government also remains committed to ensuring that apprentice wages support the attraction of talented individuals into apprenticeships and remain fair for employers.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies on workers rights of the British Hair Consortium’s report entitled Securing the future of UK hairdressing and beauty: The economic, fiscal & societal case for VAT reform, published in February 2025.

The industry plays an important economic and social role across the UK, which is why we are creating a fairer business rates system, increasing the Employment Allowance and transforming the apprenticeship levy. We are committed to tackling false self-employment and will investigate evidence suggesting businesses have misclassified individuals for tax purposes. The Employment Rights Bill will make widescale changes to employment law that will support growth in the UK, bringing greater security at work, greater pay, better staff retention, making jobs more secure and supporting women in work in every stage of life.

What guidance he is providing to ICBs to ensure consistent interpretation of NHS continuing healthcare checklist guidance.

The Department published national guidance, the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care, intended to ensure the consistent delivery of National Health Service continuing healthcare (CHC) by integrated care boards (ICBs). Further information on this guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-framework-for-nhs-continuing-healthcare-and-nhs-funded-nursing-careWe have published additional guidance on the completion of the CHC checklist screening tool, called the NHS continuing healthcare checklist, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-continuing-healthcare-checklistNHS England also has an assurance regime that promotes the standardisation and consistency of CHC assessments. NHS England CHC regional teams provide ICBs oversight and assurance to support robust, effective, and timely service delivery. ICBs should have processes in place to ensure checklists are completed by staff who are trained in checklist completion. An NHS England online learning resource to support all staff working in health and social care is in place. This includes an e-learning module on completing CHC checklists.

With reference to NHS England's Adult Social Care Activity and Finance Report, England, 2023-24, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of the decrease of 6.1% between 2022-23 and 2023-24 in local authority expenditure on support for unpaid carers.

The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support they need. Local authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers.To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, the Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.The Government recognises the challenges facing the adult social care system. That is why the Government is launching an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service.The commission will start a national conversation about what working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers who provide vital care and support.We have already taken steps to support unpaid carers. From April 2025 we are increasing the Carer's Allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 a week to £196. This means carers can earn up to £10,000 a year whilst still retaining Carer's Allowance, which is approximately an additional £2,000 a year.

With reference to his Department's publication entitled JCVI statement on COVID-19 vaccination in 2025 and spring 2026, updated on 14 November 2024, what the evidential basis was for accepting the JCVI’s advice on spring 2025.

The independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises the Department on the approach to vaccination and immunisation programmes. The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to prevent serious disease, leading to hospitalisation and/or mortality, arising from COVID-19.For spring 2025, as in spring 2024, the JCVI advises that a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered to: adults aged 75 years old and over; residents in a care home for older adults; and the immunosuppressed aged six months old and over.As in previous COVID-19 spring campaigns, the only clinical risk group included in the campaign are those aged six months or over with immunosuppression. The JCVI has advised that the available national data continues to demonstrate that older people and those who are immunosuppressed are at greatest risk of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19. The data available to the JCVI is national data, and they therefore made no assessment specific to Gosport.The Government accepted the independent JCVI advice for spring 2025 on 12 December 2024. The Government is considering the advice on autumn 2025 and spring 2026 carefully, and will respond in due course.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Government's decision not to implement the recommendations of the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues, published on 21 March 2024, on the role of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

The basis for the Government’s decision has been set out by the Secretary of State, deposited in the House of Commons library and is available here: Government response to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's investigation into Women's State Pension age and associated issues The Ombudsman does important work, which we respect. We have taken this report seriously, considering the findings in detail. We consider the findings and recommendations of the Ombudsman on a case-by-case basis. Moving forward we will work with the Ombudsman to learn the lessons this investigation can teach us and DWP will develop an action plan that we will publish in due course.

Whether he has made an assessment of the level of support that unpaid carers can access once they have undertaken a Carer’s Assessment in England.

All unpaid carers are entitled to a carer’s assessment. Local authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake carer’s assessments to support people caring for their family and friends who appear to have a need for support, and to meet their eligible needs upon request from them.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how well local authorities in England are delivering their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to unpaid carers. This means that the CQC is looking at how local authorities are supporting carers in their area, including the provision of services following a carers assessment.The Government also recognises the challenges facing the adult social care system. That is why the Government is launching an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service.The commission will start a national conversation about what working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers who provide vital care and support.We have already taken steps to support unpaid carers to balance work and care, including by increasing the Carer's Allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 a week to £196, from April 2025. This means carers can earn up to £10,000 a year whilst still retaining their Carer's Allowance, which is approximately an additional £2,000 a year.The Government is also committed to reviewing the implementation of Carer’s Leave and examining the benefits of introducing paid Carer’s Leave.Further, the Accelerating Reform Fund's second tranche of funding worth £22.6 million for 2024/25 has now been released. More than half of the projects are focused on identifying, recognizing, and supporting unpaid carers.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the recommendations of his Department's publication entitled JCVI statement on COVID-19 vaccination in 2025 and spring 2026, updated on 14 November 2024, on the clinically vulnerable population (a) nationally and (b) in Gosport.

The independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises the Department on the approach to vaccination and immunisation programmes. The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to prevent serious disease, leading to hospitalisation and/or mortality, arising from COVID-19.For spring 2025, as in spring 2024, the JCVI advises that a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered to: adults aged 75 years old and over; residents in a care home for older adults; and the immunosuppressed aged six months old and over.As in previous COVID-19 spring campaigns, the only clinical risk group included in the campaign are those aged six months or over with immunosuppression. The JCVI has advised that the available national data continues to demonstrate that older people and those who are immunosuppressed are at greatest risk of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19. The data available to the JCVI is national data, and they therefore made no assessment specific to Gosport.The Government accepted the independent JCVI advice for spring 2025 on 12 December 2024. The Government is considering the advice on autumn 2025 and spring 2026 carefully, and will respond in due course.

What assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the adequacy of funding for local authorities to support unpaid carers who have requested a Carer's Assessment in the last 12 months.

Local authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake carer’s assessments to support people caring for their family and friends who appear to have a need for support, and to meet their eligible needs upon request from them.To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, the Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant. Local authorities are responsible for how they use the available funding to fulfil their duties under the Care Act 2014.The Government recognises the challenges facing the adult social care system. That is why the Government is launching an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service.The commission will start a national conversation about what working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers who provide vital care and support.