Written questions by Davis.

By how much they plan to reduce their Department's budget to help fund the digital ID scheme.

Digital Identity policy is in development, with a dedicated team inside the Cabinet Office working to develop the proposals.Costs in this Spending Review period will be met within the existing Spending Review settlements.We are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK. No final decisions will be made until after the consultation.

Food and Rural Affairs, by how much they plan to reduce their Department's budget to help fund the digital ID scheme.

Digital Identity policy is in development, with a dedicated team inside the Cabinet Office working to develop the proposals. Costs in this Spending Review period will be met within the existing Spending Review settlements. We are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK. No final decisions will be made until after the consultation.

Media and Sport, by how much they plan to reduce their Department's budget to help fund the digital ID scheme.

Digital Identity policy is in development, with a dedicated team inside the Cabinet Office working to develop the proposals. Costs in this Spending Review period will be met within the existing Spending Review settlements. We are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK. No final decisions will be made until after the consultation.

By how much they plan to reduce their Department's budget to help fund the digital ID scheme.

The Cabinet Office are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK. No final decisions will be made until after the consultation, including the level of any contribution from the Department for Business and Trade’s budgets towards the scheme.

By how much they plan to reduce their Department's budget to help fund the digital ID scheme.

Digital Identity policy is in development, with a dedicated team inside the Cabinet Office working to develop the proposals. Costs in this Spending Review period will be met within the existing Spending Review settlements. We are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK. No final decisions will be made until after the consultation.

By how much they plan to reduce their Department's budget to help fund the digital ID scheme.

Delivery of the National Digital ID scheme is currently being led by the Cabinet Office, with input from Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Home Office and other government departments.The Cabinet Office, in collaboration with the Home Office and other government departments, is currently in the process of working through the policy and design decisions that will underpin the Digital ID. Whilst this activity is underway, it is not currently possible to finalise cost estimations and the impact these will have on the Home Office’s budget.The Cabinet Office will launch a public consultation and has already started engaging key groups. The eventual total cost will also depend on the outcomes of this exercise.

By how much they plan to reduce their Department's budget to help fund the digital ID scheme.

Digital Identity policy is in development, with a dedicated team inside the Cabinet Office working to develop the proposals.Costs in this Spending Review period will be met within the existing Spending Review settlements.We are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK. No final decisions will be made until after the consultation.

By how much they plan to reduce their Department's budget to help fund the digital ID scheme.

Digital Identity policy is in development, with a dedicated team inside the Cabinet Office working to develop the proposals. Costs in this Spending Review period will be met within the existing Spending Review settlements.

By how much they plan to reduce their Department's budget to help fund the digital ID scheme.

Digital Identity policy is in development, with a dedicated team inside the Cabinet Office working to develop the proposals. Costs in this Spending Review period will be met within the existing Spending Review settlements. We are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK. No final decisions will be made until after the consultation.

By how much they plan to reduce their Department's budget to help fund the digital ID scheme.

Digital Identity policy is in development, with a dedicated team inside the Cabinet Office working to develop the proposals.Costs in this Spending Review period will be met within the existing Spending Review settlements. We are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK. No final decisions will be made until after the consultation.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, by how much they plan to reduce their Department's budget to help fund the digital ID scheme.

Digital Identity policy is in development, with a dedicated team inside the Cabinet Office working to develop the proposals.Costs in this Spending Review period will be met within the existing Spending Review settlements.We are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK. No final decisions will be made until after the consultation.

Innovation and Technology, by how much they plan to reduce their Department's budget to help fund the digital ID scheme.

Digital Identity policy is in development, with a dedicated team inside the Cabinet Office working to develop the proposals.Costs in this Spending Review period will be met within the existing Spending Review settlements.We are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK. No final decisions will be made until after the consultation.

By how much they plan to reduce their Department's budget to help fund the digital ID scheme.

Digital Identity policy is in development, with a dedicated team inside the Cabinet Office working to develop the proposals.Costs in this Spending Review period will be met within the existing Spending Review settlements.We are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK. No final decisions will be made until after the consultation.

By how much they plan to reduce their Department's budget to help fund the digital ID scheme.

Digital Identity policy is in development, with a dedicated team inside the Cabinet Office working to develop the proposals. We are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK. No final decisions will be made until after the consultation.

Whether he has assessed the potential implications for open justice of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal’s decision to bar the press and public from recent proceedings.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) is an independent statutory tribunal that hears cases of alleged misconduct by solicitors, registered European Lawyers, registered foreign lawyers, and employees of solicitors’ firms.The SDT is committed to upholding the principles of open justice. Its default position is that hearings should be held in public and that any departure from this principle must be justified as an exception. Rule 35 of the Solicitors (Disciplinary Proceedings) Rules 2019 governs the SDT's power to hold a private hearing and stipulates the specific exceptions where hearings may be private. The primary ground for holding a private hearing is exceptional hardship or prejudice to a party, witness, or affected person. In addition, a private hearing may be necessary where a public hearing would prejudice the interests of justice. Details of the SDT’s approach to conducting hearings, or parts of a hearing, in private are available here: https://solicitorstribunal.org.uk/resource/policy-public-private-hearings/.Whilst the Ministry of Justice does not intervene in individual cases or decisions of the SDT, we keep the underlying legislative framework under review to ensure it continues to provide an effective and transparent disciplinary system.

What guidance her Department provides to police forces on their deployment of live facial recognition cameras.

Guidance on watchlists is provided by the College of Policing in the form of an Authorised Professional Practice. This sets out the categories of people who may be included on a watchlist, which depends on the nature of the deployment. Watchlists must be tailored to a specific policing objective and reviewed before each deployment to ensure they meet the legal tests of necessity and proportionality.Watchlists may include individuals wanted by the police or the courts, suspects, missing or vulnerable people, or those posing a risk of harm to themselves or others. In some cases, this may include vulnerable individuals such as missing children.Although there is a legal framework in place, it is complicated, inflexible and difficult for the public and police to understand. That is why we have launched a consultation to support the development of a new legal framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.

What guidance her Department provides to police forces on including children in live facial recognition camera watchlists.

Guidance on watchlists is provided by the College of Policing in the form of an Authorised Professional Practice. This sets out the categories of people who may be included on a watchlist, which depends on the nature of the deployment. Watchlists must be tailored to a specific policing objective and reviewed before each deployment to ensure they meet the legal tests of necessity and proportionality.Watchlists may include individuals wanted by the police or the courts, suspects, missing or vulnerable people, or those posing a risk of harm to themselves or others. In some cases, this may include vulnerable individuals such as missing children.Although there is a legal framework in place, it is complicated, inflexible and difficult for the public and police to understand. That is why we have launched a consultation to support the development of a new legal framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.

What is the average time between a Child Maintenance Service complaint being received by the Independent Case Examiner and its allocation to an investigator.

As of 31 October 2025, Child Maintenance Service (CMS) cases in investigation waited an average of 25 weeks from the date they were received by the Independent Case Examiner’s office to the date they were allocated to an Investigator. This is a significant improvement compared to January 2024, when CMS cases in investigation had waited an average of 66 weeks from receipt date to the date they were allocated to an Investigator. The Independent Case Examiner’s office continually seeks to improve this further. In CMS cases cleared between 01/04/25 – 31/10/25, it took an average of 33 weeks from the date complaints were received into the Independent Case Examiners office to the date a decision was made and issued. The 33 weeks is made up of 25 weeks awaiting allocation to an Investigator and 8 weeks in investigation.

What is the average time between a Child Maintenance Service complaint being received by the Independent Case Examiner and the issuing of a final decision.

As of 31 October 2025, Child Maintenance Service (CMS) cases in investigation waited an average of 25 weeks from the date they were received by the Independent Case Examiner’s office to the date they were allocated to an Investigator. This is a significant improvement compared to January 2024, when CMS cases in investigation had waited an average of 66 weeks from receipt date to the date they were allocated to an Investigator. The Independent Case Examiner’s office continually seeks to improve this further. In CMS cases cleared between 01/04/25 – 31/10/25, it took an average of 33 weeks from the date complaints were received into the Independent Case Examiners office to the date a decision was made and issued. The 33 weeks is made up of 25 weeks awaiting allocation to an Investigator and 8 weeks in investigation.

What steps she is taking to reform funding processes for the provision of SEND support.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.The funding and other arrangements for improving the SEND system are under review, and we are continuing to engage closely with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children get the outcomes and life chances they deserve.In the meantime, the department is providing total high needs funding this financial year of over £12 billion for children and young people with complex SEND. Of that total, East Riding of Yorkshire Council is being allocated over £42 million through the high needs funding block of their dedicated schools grant. This high needs funding is to help meet the costs local authorities are facing this financial year, as they in turn provide support to schools and other education providers, and ultimately to children with SEND.