Written questions by Hamilton.

What steps he is taking to increase the number of qualified GPs working in the NHS; and if he will make an estimate of what the proportional change in the number of qualified GPs working in the NHS will be by 2036.

We are working to increase the general practice (GP) workforce in England. This includes measures to boost recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession, and encourage them to return to practice.NHS England is working to address training bottlenecks so the health service has enough staff for the future, and we will provide £82 million to fund the recruitment of over 1,000 newly qualified GPs, via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, so patients can get the care they need.

What steps she is taking to help prevent the coercive control of older people for financial gain.

This Government recognises the devastating impact that financial and economic abuse can have on victims. Whilst anyone can suffer from domestic abuse, we know that older victims, especially where dependent on others, may find it more difficult to recognise that they are experiencing coercive control and economic abuse and seek help.The Government supports access to specialist services for all victims of domestic abuse. The Home Office funds Hourglass, a specialist organisation focused on the abuse and neglect of older people, to provide enhanced helpline support to victims and survivors of coercive control and domestic abuse in England and Wales. Hourglass also works with other frontline organisations to ensure safer ageing, including by raising awareness of economic abuse.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a new UN convention on the rights of older persons.

The UK is fully committed to promoting and protecting the rights of all people, including older people. Building stronger legal frameworks at the domestic and international level is key. We were an active participant in the work of the UN's Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing and we welcomed the consensus adoption by the General Assembly in September of its recommendations. The UK seeks to play a constructive role on these issues and we are open to considering further standard-setting, including the possibility of a multilateral instrument to help further address the issues faced by older people.

What steps she is taking to support local authorities in delivering education health and care plans.

The department publishes annual data from the SEN2 survey in relation to every educational, health and care plan maintained by individual local authorities.The department closely monitors the information from the annual SEN2 data collection and uses it to inform discussions with local areas.Where a council does not meet its duties, the department can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement. The department offers a range of universal, targeted and intensive support through department’s managed programmes, such as the Sector Led Improvement Partners which provide peer-to-peer tailored support.Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission introduced a strengthened area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection framework in January 2023 leading to a greater emphasis on the outcomes being achieved for children and young people. It is the primary tool to maintain a focus on high standards in the SEND system across all partners.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps at the United Nations Security Council to (a) widen the existing arms embargo on Darfur to cover all of Sudan, (b) enforce the existing arms embargo, and (c) to sanction (i) individuals and (ii) companies that (A) have violated and (B) are violating the arms embargo.

There is a UN Arms Embargo and Sanctions Regime on Darfur, which the UN Security Council (UNSC) renewed in September 2024, which complements a longstanding bilateral UK arms embargo in place for the whole of Sudan. These regimes have been used to constrain the flow of weapons into the country, and individuals and entities who breach the UN arms embargo may be subject to targeted measures as stipulated in resolution 1591. Since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, the UK has sanctioned five entities linked with the Rapid Support Forces and four entities linked with the Sudanese Armed Forces. We consistently use our position as penholder on Sudan at the UNSC to call on States urgently to refrain from enhancing either side's fighting capability.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the cost of living for people with disabilities.

In England, the Household Support Fund (HSF) is a scheme providing discretionary support towards the cost of essentials, such as food and energy to those most in need, including disabled people. The current HSF is running from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025, with an additional £421m being provided to enable the extension in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual. This winter, we are continuing to deliver the £150 Warm Home Discount to eligible low-income households and we expect it again to support well over three million households. The extra costs disability benefits are a contribution to meeting the extra costs that arise from a disability or long term health condition. These benefits were not subject to the benefits freeze, were most recently uprated by 6.7 per cent from 8 April 2024 and were qualifying benefits for the Disability Cost of Living Payments paid in 2022 and 2023. They are not means–tested, are non-contributory and thus paid regardless of any income or savings. They are also tax-free and worth up to £184.30 a week, or over £9,580 a year. The extra costs disability benefits can be paid in addition to other financial support that those with a health condition or disability may be eligible for, such as Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit, premiums and additional amounts paid within the income-related benefits, Carer’s Allowance, Motability and the Blue Badge scheme.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of imposing targeted sanctions on (a) people responsible for serious crimes in Sudan in line with those sanctioned by the United States, Canada and the European Union, (b) people identified in the UN Panel of Experts report of January 2024 and (c) commanders and officials obstructing humanitarian assistance.

The use of sanctions is one of the tools the UK employs to respond to ongoing conflict in Sudan. Since the outbreak of the conflict in April 2023, the UK has sanctioned five entities linked with the RSF and four entities linked with the SAF. Six of those sanctions were issued on 12 July 2023 under the UK's Sudan Sanctions (EU Exit) Regulations 2020. The UK announced a package of three further sanctions designations on 15 April 2024. These sanctions froze the assets of three commercial entities linked to each warring party. The UK welcomes the Panel of Experts' report from January. Although we do not speculate on future measures, our sanctions policy is continually under review.  We continue to engage closely with key international partners on Sudan.