Written questions by Coghlan.

What steps she is taking to end the use of the Four Points Hotel in Horley to house asylum seekers.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on the 4 September to Question 71421.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) help tackle supply chain issues relating to (i) Desmopressin and (ii) Hydrocortisone and (b) manage risks for patients who require access to these medications.

We are aware of supply issues affecting desmopressin nasal spray for which the Department issued comprehensive communications to healthcare professionals in March 2025. This included advice on alternative medications, such as desmopressin oral products, and on how to manage affected patients during this time. Where alternative medications are not appropriate, the Department has reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed desmopressin nasal spray for patients. Guidance on ordering these is included in the shortage guidance. The Department has highlighted to prescribers the risk of omission or delay in treatment in patients with arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVP-D).We are also aware of supply issues affecting hydrocortisone sodium phosphate 100mg/1ml solution for injection. Hydrocortisone sodium succinate 100mg powder remains available for patients. We have issued comprehensive management guidance to healthcare professionals on how to manage patients while supply is disrupted. The guidance highlighted the differences between the two hydrocortisone injections. It also included resources for patients and healthcare professionals on how to administer the alternative hydrocortisone injection.The Department will continue to work closely with the manufacturers to resolve the issues as soon as possible and to ensure patients have continuous access to medicines. Any patient who is worried about their condition should speak to their clinician in the first instance.

Whether she plans to publish a second Telecommunications Fraud Charter.

‘Spoofing’ is a common technique used by fraudsters and spam callers to disguise their telephone numbers and pretend to be someone else, such as a bank or another person.Ofcom have already strengthened activity against ‘spoofed’ calls. New rules were introduced last year to ensure that operators block calls from suspicious numbers from the UK and overseas.Ofcom have announced further initiatives which will make it more difficult for spammers and scammers to use UK telephone numbers to harm consumers. For instance, in July 2025 Ofcom launched a consultation proposing that telecoms companies withhold the caller ID (CLI) of calls that appear to come from a UK mobile number (+447) when they originate abroad, unless the number’s validity can be verified. This measure aims to close the loophole that previously allowed spoofed mobile numbers via roaming to bypass existing blocks.The Home Office is also currently developing a second Telecommunications Fraud Charter. This new charter will build on the existing voluntary anti-fraud efforts in the telecoms sector and will aim to go further in identifying, preventing, and disrupting fraud activities.

What progress Ofcom has made on reducing the number of spoofed phone numbers being used by (a) spammers and (b) scammers.

‘Spoofing’ is a common technique used by fraudsters and spam callers to disguise their telephone numbers and pretend to be someone else, such as a bank or another person.Ofcom have already strengthened activity against ‘spoofed’ calls. New rules were introduced last year to ensure that operators block calls from suspicious numbers from the UK and overseas.Ofcom have announced further initiatives which will make it more difficult for spammers and scammers to use UK telephone numbers to harm consumers. For instance, in July 2025 Ofcom launched a consultation proposing that telecoms companies withhold the caller ID (CLI) of calls that appear to come from a UK mobile number (+447) when they originate abroad, unless the number’s validity can be verified. This measure aims to close the loophole that previously allowed spoofed mobile numbers via roaming to bypass existing blocks.The Home Office is also currently developing a second Telecommunications Fraud Charter. This new charter will build on the existing voluntary anti-fraud efforts in the telecoms sector and will aim to go further in identifying, preventing, and disrupting fraud activities.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of Eli Lilly’s decision to increase the list price of Mounjaro by up to 170 per cent from September 2025 on people using the drug; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people continue to have affordable access to this treatment.

As we shift the focus from treatment to prevention through our 10 Year Health Plan, we are determined to bring revolutionary modern treatments to everyone who needs them, not just those who can afford to pay.NHS England has worked with Eli Lilly to ensure that the list price increase will not affect National Health Service commissioning of tirzepatide in England as a treatment for eligible patients, and we remain committed to the rollout of this medicine as a weight loss treatment based on clinical priority. This will enable 220,000 eligible people to access the medication over the first three years. Not everyone who wants tirzepatide will be able to access it at first, and the initial eligibility criteria will be for people with a body mass index of 40 or more in addition to four or more qualifying comorbidities.Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have also entered equivalent agreements to maintain their current commissioning approaches.Pricing in the private market is a matter for Eli Lilly and for private providers. Private patients who are impacted by price increases should discuss any concerns with their private provider. This includes their options regarding payment plans, alternative treatments, and/or stopping or tapering off their current medication. Eli Lilly is working with private providers to support continued patient access.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that there is adequate infrastructure in place to support new housing developments.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 65505 on 14 July 2025.

Whether he plans to publish a climate action plan that is in line with the (a) Climate Change Act 2008 and (b) Climate Change Committee’s independent assessment of the third national adaption programme.

We will deliver an updated Carbon Budgets and Growth Delivery Plan by October 2025 which outlines the policies needed to deliver Carbon Budgets 4-6 and our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) on a pathway to net zero. Defra is also exploring stronger climate resilience objectives ahead of the next National Adaptation Programme in 2028. We welcome the Climate Change Committee’s 2025 Progress Report. The government will consider their recommendations and respond by October.

When she plans to respond to the letter from Fiona Davidson, dated 4 July 2025.

I can confirm that a response to the correspondence dated 4 July 2025 from Fiona Davidson was sent on 21 July 2025.

If the Government will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Supreme Court judgment in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025 on trans people with Gender Recognition Certificates.

A Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) allows a trans person to change their legal sex to align with their acquired gender. Those with a GRC are recognised in their acquired sex and gender unless specific exceptions apply. The Supreme Court ruling clarified that the Equality Act is one such exception; it is important to note that the ruling also emphasised that trans people remain protected from harassment and discrimination on the basis of gender reassignment in the Equality Act 2010. A GRC still allows trans people to legally change their sex for a range of reasons that matter in their lives – birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates, for example.

Pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 61659 on Research: Investment, if the Economic Secretary to the Treasury will meet with the hon. Member for Dorking and Horley to discuss research and development funding.

R&D funding falls within the portfolio of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Livermore). I have passed on your request, but due to diary constraints Lord Livermore is unable to meet currently.

What discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the provision of military intelligence to Ukrainian forces.

The Defence Secretary regularly speaks with his US counterpart regarding our collective support to Ukraine’s armed forces in response to Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion. As the hon. Gentlemen will understand, we do not comment on Intelligence matters. However, we have always been clear that the UK will do everything we can to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position across all aspects of our support, particularly defence and security.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure Trusts uphold their legal obligations under the (a) Equality Act 2010 and (b) duty of care for staff returning from serious illness such as cancer.

We hugely value all National Health Service staff and are committed to improving organisational culture and working conditions, so we can keep staff healthy, motivated, and retain their valuable skills.A cancer diagnosis is regarded as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, which means that employers have a duty of care to consider any reasonable adjustments to help the employee to return to work in a timely and safe way, and with their health needs in mind.NHS trusts are expected to have local policies and procedures in place to support staff who have long-term health conditions, including cancer.The NHS Terms and Conditions of Service handbook sets out interventions that should be considered under the Employment Rights Act 1996 when managing an employee’s return to work. There are tools and resources available to employers to assist their employees returning to work, and this includes NHS England’s NHS Health and Wellbeing framework, and the Sickness Absence toolkit published by NHS Employers. Further information on the NHS Health and Wellbeing framework and the Sickness Absence toolkit is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/supporting-our-nhs-people/health-and-wellbeing-programmes/nhs-health-and-wellbeing-framework/https://www.nhsemployers.org/toolkits/sickness-absence-toolkit

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of issuing research and development bonds of up to £20 billion per year.

Government investment in research and development (R&D) underpins the UK’s excellence in its universities and research institutes and stimulates private sector innovation, driving growth and higher living standards. On average, every £1 of government spending delivers £7 of economic benefits in the long term. At the recent Spending Review, the government therefore prioritised R&D – increasing R&D funding to £22.6 billion per year by 2029-30, an above-inflation increase. Our core gilt programme is the most stable and cost-effective way of raising finance to fund the day-to-day activities of the government, owing to the depth and liquidity of the market. This is, in part, down to the fungibility of the instruments issued to the market. Issuing bonds aimed at financing specific areas of spending risks fragmenting the gilt market, which would not be consistent with the government’s debt management objective of minimising the long-term cost of financing, taking into account risk. The government keeps under regular review the introduction of new debt instruments. The government would however need to be satisfied that any new instrument would meet value-for-money criteria, enjoy strong and sustained demand in the long term, and be consistent with wider fiscal objectives.

What steps she is taking to ensure the timely delivery of Betchwood Vale Academy.

The department is engaging with local authorities and trusts and progressing work on special and alternative provision free schools in line with our vision for the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. Projects are at different stages of development, which means we have been prioritising operational decisions on those that are due to open in the shorter term.Departmental officials are in the process of reviewing all the documentation for Betchwood Vale Academy before submitting a new planning application for the school.

Whether she has considered the merits of expanding the functions of the Public Guardian to include responsibility for appropriate discharge of mental capacity assessments.

The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005, which provides a framework for making decisions on behalf of adults who are unable to do so for themselves. The statutory Code of Practice issued under the Act provides guidance to practitioners on the conduct of capacity assessments in keeping with the principles of the MCA.The Public Guardian is the statutory office holder created by the Act whose core functions relate primarily to registering lasting powers of attorney and supervising court appointed deputies. We have no current plans to expand these functions.

What his Department's planned timetable is for its public consultation on the application of mental capacity law.

On 4 June 2025, I wrote to Fiona Laskaris and the Hon. Member for Dorking and Horley, Chris Coghlan MP to confirm my commitment to review the full range of policy and legislative levers in relation to the practical application of mental capacity law. This important work requires careful consideration. The most recent meeting with officials was on 17 June, and we will set out our plans in due course.

With reference to his letter to the hon. Member for Dorking and Horley, dated 4 June 2025, if he will set out the legislative vehicles his Department are considering to address the identified shortcomings in mental capacity law.

On 4 June 2025, I wrote to Fiona Laskaris and the Hon. Member for Dorking and Horley, Chris Coghlan MP to confirm my commitment to review the full range of policy and legislative levers in relation to the practical application of mental capacity law. This important work requires careful consideration. The most recent meeting with officials was on 17 June, and we will set out our plans in due course.

What oversight exists to (a) monitor and (b) audit legal expenditure by NHS Trusts in Employment Tribunal cases.

Neither the Department nor NHS England monitor or audit legal expenditure by National Health Service trusts in Employment tribunal cases. NHS trusts are responsible for overseeing their own Employment Tribunal cases, which would include monitoring and auditing the legal expenditure. Legal expenditure in Employment Tribunal cases may however be subject to financial audit scrutiny by the NHS trusts’ external auditors, subject to local audit materiality.

If he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of not including prostate cancer referral guidance for asymptomatic men in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines on prostate cancer relate to symptomatic patients. Guidance on prostate cancer referral for asymptomatic men can be found in the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prostate-cancer-risk-management-programme-overviewNICE guidelines do not provide guidance on screening of asymptomatic people which is the responsibility of the UK National Screening Committee.

Whether she plans to create national guidelines for preventing adult grooming.

The Government is taking a range of actions to prevent the grooming and exploitation of vulnerable adults.To tackle criminal exploitation, we are introducing a new cuckooing offence in the Crime and Policing Bill to target criminals who groom and exploit vulnerable people in order to take over their homes for criminal purposes. We are also introducing a new offence of coerced internal concealment to address the appalling practice whereby criminals exploit children and vulnerable adults to cause them to internally conceal items such as drugs for criminal purposes. Both offences will be supported by statutory guidance for police as well as non-statutory multi-agency guidance which will include information on preventative action to protect those at risk of these terrible forms of adult grooming and exploitation.In terms of adult grooming for sexual exploitation, we are working closely with police and others to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through law enforcement operational intensifications aimed at tackling modern slavery threats and targeting prolific perpetrators.