Written questions by Nichols.

What estimate she has made of the additional cost of the UK's debt interest following the downgrading of the AAA credit rating in each year since 2013.

Rising global interest rates and inflation have meant debt interest is at its second highest for a financial year since the 1980s. This shows why our fiscal rules – balancing the current budget and reducing net financial debt by 2029-30 – are the right thing to do to reduce the burden on future generations.

How many people received awards under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in Warrington in each of the last five years or which figures are available; and what the value of those awards was.

The table below provides the number of compensation awards paid in each of the last five calendar years to applicants living in Warrington.Number of compensation awards paid to applicants living in Warrington* ** Calendar Year Number of awards paid Total value of those awards 202079£955,381202165£685,608202261£684,051202392£701,724202452£702,440*The above table includes all awards where the applicant named Warrington as the town in their home address in their application.**The table does not include archived bereavement applications because the address of the applicant is not retained. In most cases, applications are archived three years after the case has been closed.

What the average processing time was for applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme by people resident in Warrington in each of the last five years.

The table below shows the average time for decisions to be made on applications* for criminal injuries compensation by people resident in Warrington**.Calendar Year Average time (days) 20202792021423202234020233522024317 *The table does not include archived bereavement applications because the address of the applicant is not retained. In most cases, applications are archived three years after the case has been closed.**The above table includes all awards where the applicant named Warrington as the town in their home address in their application. Over the last three years, we have seen continued growth in people coming forward to claim compensation. To help meet this rising demand and to boost our capacity to assess claims, we continue to uplift staff numbers in line with funding. We are working to identify efficiencies in the way we work led by an in-house continuous improvement team.We have sponsored work to explore and implement helpful case management system changes and the potential for Artificial Intelligence applications to deliver further efficiencies by assisting our claims officers as they identify key information relevant to the assessment process.

If she will assess the effectiveness of the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme.

Following the conclusion of the Eat Out Help Out scheme, HMRC published statistical analysis, which included data on scheme’s costs, take up, and geographical breakdown. The Covid Inquiry is also investigating the UK’s response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The government is cooperating fully with the Inquiry in its extensive and detailed work.

How much funding has been allocated to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.

For 2024/2025, the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme was allocated a budget of £40 million. This covers funding for payment awards, and administration costs associated with assessing the claims and managing the scheme.

Whether he plans to take legislative steps to allow pubs to designate outdoor smoking and vaping areas.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill was introduced to Parliament on 5 November 2024, and passed its second reading in the House of Commons on 25 November 2024. The bill will put us on track to a smoke-free United Kingdom, helping to reduce approximately 80,000 preventable deaths and reduce the burden on the National Health Service and on the taxpayer.The bill contains powers to extend the ban on smoking indoors to certain outdoor settings, to reduce the harms of second-hand smoking, particularly around children and vulnerable people. In England, we are considering extending smoke-free outdoor places to outside schools, children’s playgrounds, and hospitals, but not to outdoor hospitality settings such as pub gardens. The bill also has powers to make most public places and workplaces that are smoke-free, vape-free.Exactly which settings should become smoke-free and vape-free will be a matter for secondary legislation, with all proposed reforms subject to a full consultation.

What estimate she has made of the number of police officers in 2027.

Police forces in England and Wales are expected to maintain officer numbers, as per the officer maintenance grant. The Government is currently working with police forces on setting an accurate baseline for neighbourhood policing numbers.

Whether her Department plans to introduce incentives for (a) manufacturers and (b) motorists to encourage take-up of electric cars.

In the Autumn Budget the Government announced over £2bn of capital and R&D funding to 2030 that will support the latest research and development, accelerate commercial scale up, and unlock capital investment in zero emission vehicles, batteries and the wider supply chain. In addition, in 2025-26 Government is investing £200m to expand electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints, providing £120m for new electric van grants, and strengthening consumer incentives by widening the differentials in Vehicle Excise Duty First Year Rates between EVs and hybrids vs. internal combustion engine cars. EVs continue to get the best rates available for salary sacrifice schemes, which strongly incentivises the uptake of EVs.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the British Council has to repay its pandemic loan on commercial terms.

The previous Government made available up to £200 million in loans during the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure the British Council remained solvent, to support restructuring, and to help the British Council return to surplus.  The loan was made on commercial terms to ensure compliance with the UK subsidy control regime.The Government remains committed to recovering the loan as soon as the British Council's finances allow.

How many people were prosecuted for (a) killing and (b) taking certain species of wild birds (i) in (A) 2021, (B) 2022 and (C) 2023 and (ii) since general license 42 was updated on 1 January 2024.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions at criminal courts in England and Wales between January 2021 and June 2024 in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics. The offence ‘Prohibition of certain methods of killing or taking wild birds (Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981)' can be found using the following HO code; 19006. This can be accessed by navigating to the ‘Prosecutions and convictions’ tab and using the HO Offence Code filter to select the above offence in the Outcomes by Offence data tool.Between January 2021 and June 2024 there have been 6 prosecutions for the offence 'Prohibition of certain methods of killing or taking wild birds (Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981)'. However, it is not possible to separately identify killing or taking wild birds from the offence within the court proceedings database held centrally by the Ministry of Justice.

What proportion of his Department's spending relates to medical negligence and claims (a) nationally and (b) in Warrington North constituency.

NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England.In NHSR’s annual report and accounts, published on 23 July 2024, reports that the total of payments made by NHSR for clinical negligence claims in 2023/24 was £2,821,200,000. This is approximately 1.6% of the NHS resource budget.Regarding the specific cost of clinical negligence claims in the Warrington North Constituency, NHSR has advised that it does not record the cost claims in the format requested.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to make public a full register of beneficial ownership of land.

On 27 December 2023, the previous government launched a consultation on how to make land ownership more transparent where trusts are involved. The consultation closed on 21 February 2024 and officials in my department are considering the responses received.

What steps she plans to take to help increase the number of students entering the civil nuclear sector.

Nuclear power production is making a crucial contribution to the UK’s Clean Energy Superpower Mission. This contribution relies on a highly skilled workforce. The government and industry are working together to increase the number of students across academic and technical education that enter the nuclear sector. The government’s reforms of England’s skills system, including through the Growth and Skills Levy, the work of Skills England and the Post-16 Strategy, will support the sector’s access to the talent that it needs.The National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills, which the government developed in partnership with industry, will also help address the workforce needs of the civil and defence nuclear sectors. The Plan, published by the Nuclear Skills Delivery Group, is available here: https://nuclearskillsdeliverygroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/NSDG-National-Nuclear-Strategic-Plan-For-Skills.pdf.The government’s current skills offer in England is already helping meet the needs of the nuclear sector. There are seven nuclear-specific occupational standards which underpin apprenticeships. Other apprenticeships are also crucial to the construction and operation of nuclear power plants, including project manager (level 6), and maintenance and operations engineering technician (level 3).The ‘Free Courses for Jobs’ offer includes two nuclear sector-specific qualifications: the ECITB level 3 Certificate and Diploma in Nuclear Engineering and Science.A range of Skills Bootcamps are available in nuclear specific and nuclear supportive courses.Higher education plays a key role in supplying the civil nuclear sector with the skills it needs. Sector specific provision is important, particularly at postgraduate level, but more general courses are also vital to a healthy skills supply for the sector.

What treatments are (a) available and (b) due to become available in the next 12 months on the NHS for people who have experienced adverse side effects to Covid-19 vaccines.

In the very rare event where an individual may have suffered a severe adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine, care and treatment will be best met and managed by National Health Service local specialist services, augmented as appropriate by national specialist advice. Individuals will be treated and managed through existing healthcare services, with any treatment dependent on the individuals’ clinical needs.

If she will take urgent steps to allow children of British National (Overseas) (BNO) visa holders who (a) were born before 1 July 1997 and (b) do not hold a BNO passport of their own to access the BNO visa scheme.

The Home Office publishes data on the BN(O) route as part of the ‘Immigration System Statistics’ quarterly release, in the entry clearance visas and extensions detailed datasets. The Home Office does not currently hold data on the number of children of BN(O) passport holders who were born before 1 July 1997 and who do not hold a BN(O) passport.The British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route reflects the UK’s historic commitment to those people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the UK by taking up BN(O) status and, has enabled thousands of eligible Hong Kongers and their family members to come to the UK to live, study and work in virtually any capacity, on a pathway to citizenship. We remain committed to this work while we decide on the future of departmental policies.

What estimate she has made of the number of children of British National (Overseas) (BNO) passport holders who are unable to access the BNO visa scheme because they (a) were born before 1 July 1997 and (b) do not hold a BNO passport of their own.

The Home Office publishes data on the BN(O) route as part of the ‘Immigration System Statistics’ quarterly release, in the entry clearance visas and extensions detailed datasets. The Home Office does not currently hold data on the number of children of BN(O) passport holders who were born before 1 July 1997 and who do not hold a BN(O) passport.The British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route reflects the UK’s historic commitment to those people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the UK by taking up BN(O) status and, has enabled thousands of eligible Hong Kongers and their family members to come to the UK to live, study and work in virtually any capacity, on a pathway to citizenship. We remain committed to this work while we decide on the future of departmental policies.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2024 to Question 10496 on Hong Kong: Travel, what steps his Department is taking to (a) clarify and (b) mitigate risks of British-born children of naturalised British citizens of Chinese descent being subject to (i) PRC nationality laws and (ii) potential limitations on consular access.

The FCDO provides consular assistance to British nationals abroad. In some cases, British Nationals of Hong Kong or Chinese descent may be considered Chinese by the Chinese authorities meaning the consular assistance we can provide may be limited. As per our nationality guidance, we advise seeking legal advice where appropriate for individual cases.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of revising the discount offered through the Right to Acquire scheme.

No such assessment has been made. Discount levels under the Right to Acquire scheme remain unchanged, and eligible tenants of housing association properties are able to apply for a discount of between £9,000 and £16,000 on the price of their property depending on where they live.

What data her Department holds on the number of people eligible for child maintenance who are not claiming it.

It is estimated that at the financial year ending 2023, there are 2.4 million separated families in Great Britain and 3.8 million children in those families. 41% of these did not have either a statutory arrangement with the Child Maintenance Service or a private arrangement.At the end of June 2024, the Child Maintenance Service was managing 744,000 arrangements for 675,000 Paying Parents, the number of arrangements has increased by 10% since the end of June 2023.Legislation to remove the £20 application fee was introduced in February 2024, removing a financial barrier to parents wishing to access the CMS.Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance is an online service that provides free information and support to help parents make decisions about CM and make a CMS application if they choose to.

If she will reintroduce the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Bill.

The Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 gained Royal Assent on 20 July 2023.We are committed to implementing the Act, which aims to prevent the theft and re-sale of high-value equipment, particularly for use in an agricultural setting. I recently met with Ruth Bailey, CEO of Agricultural Engineers Association on the 5th November 2024.The Act requires secondary legislation before it can come into effect. We will be carefully considering the views of those who may be affected by the legislation and its regulations, to understand the potential implications and determine the scope of the legislation.