Written questions by Mierlo.

What steps her Department is taking to help mitigate the potential impact of delays in family visa applications on applicants who are unable to work while awaiting a decision.

The number of family visa applications outstanding for more than 12 months is not currently available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.All family visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with the Immigration Rules and in line with the published family visa processing times available here: Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK. Where applicants require their application to be expedited owing to their individual compelling and compassionate circumstances, we will consider each case on its own merit.The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, including service standards for processing visa applications, where applicable. The department is also in the process of implementing technology changes to improve efficiency and support faster processing of family visa applications.Applicants on certain family routes may choose to use optional priority or super priority services, where available, for an additional fee to receive a faster decision on their application. Applicants using the priority service will usually receive a decision within five working days.Further information on the priority service is available here: Get a faster decision on your visa or settlement application: Applying for a faster decision - GOV.UKWhen an individual is considered for assessment of Change of Conditions, various No Recourse to Public Funds conditions are checked, with ‘destitution’ being one of these conditions.

What estimate he has made of future energy requirements for AI; and what steps he is taking to meet those requirements.

The Department’s energy and emissions projections include growth in power demand from computing services like data centres. To ensure a comprehensive view of the system, the methodology projects at a broader sector level, not disaggregating specific estimates for data centres. The Government is committed to ensuring electricity networks can meet rising electricity demand, including from data centres, by deploying new renewable and low-carbon generation in line with the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. The Capacity Market ensures supply continuously meets demand, balancing cost and reliability to maintain adequate electricity security.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions has she had with Ofcom and the Information Commissioner's Office on the adequacy of protections relating to (a) generative AI and (b) chatbots in the Online Safety Act 2023.

Following public consultation, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) issued and updated guidance on how data protection law applies to generative AI. The Government supports the ICO’s role in providing guidance to organisations to help their compliance.While some AI chatbots are covered by the Online Safety Act, this Government is determined to close loopholes and has tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill to protect users from illegal content on chatbots.The Department will continue to meet regularly with Ofcom, the ICO and industry, to address emerging risks and uphold strong online safety protections.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to improve media literacy.

The Government is taking a cross‑government approach to improving media literacy, as set out in ‘A Safe, Informed Digital Nation’, published on 16 March. This includes strengthening coordination across policy areas and working with civil society and industry to help people build the skills, confidence and critical thinking needed to navigate the online world safely and effectively. This includes initiatives such as the ‘You Won’t Know Until You Ask’ campaign, which encourages people to pause and question online content, alongside trusted guidance on the new Kids Online Safety Hub and funding innovative projects through the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund.

To set out a timeline for the process and completion of the independent review of the prevalence of and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism announced on 4 December 2025.

The terms of reference for the independent review into mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism state that the review will take three to six months and will provide a short report to Department ministers, setting out conclusions and recommendations.The review will examine the prevalence of these conditions, the factors driving recent increases in diagnoses, and the quality and consistency of support available. It will consider how people access assessment and treatment, the experiences of families and carers, and the support provided across education, health, and wider public services. It will also look at the role of diagnosis, early intervention, and prevention, and the wider social and cultural factors influencing demand for services.The 10-Year Health Plan set out an ambitious reform agenda to transform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future. We will go further by developing a new approach to mental health so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place. This will be informed by the independent review into prevalence and support for mental health, autism, and ADHD.

What will the independent review of the prevalence of and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism be used for.

The terms of reference for the independent review into mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism state that the review will take three to six months and will provide a short report to Department ministers, setting out conclusions and recommendations.The review will examine the prevalence of these conditions, the factors driving recent increases in diagnoses, and the quality and consistency of support available. It will consider how people access assessment and treatment, the experiences of families and carers, and the support provided across education, health, and wider public services. It will also look at the role of diagnosis, early intervention, and prevention, and the wider social and cultural factors influencing demand for services.The 10-Year Health Plan set out an ambitious reform agenda to transform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future. We will go further by developing a new approach to mental health so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place. This will be informed by the independent review into prevalence and support for mental health, autism, and ADHD.

What the average time taken was for Integrated Care Boards to respond to correspondence from hon. Members in the latest period for which data is available.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies on pollutant reduction within river improvement programmes of the report by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology entitled Review of the Classification Framework for Ecological Status/Potential under the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) England and Wales Regulations, published in July 2025.

In 2025, the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) published an independent review of the suitability of the Water Framework Directive ecological classification framework for measuring and assessing the health of the water environment. Among its suggestions was to employ a ‘surface waterbody biodiversity audit’ to inform policies on reducing pollution to the water environment. We committed in the recently published Water White Paper to explore setting new ambitious targets for the water environment and are considering a wide range of inputs as part of these explorations, including the UKCEH report. Meanwhile, we continue to work towards our obligation to secure continuous improvement for the water environment.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the water regulator replacing Ofwat will have prosecution powers.

The Government has set out its ambition to create a powerful new water regulator, bringing together the relevant functions from the existing regulators (Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, Environment Agency and Natural England) into one new body. This will replace the current fragmented system with one regulator capable of integrated management of the water system. Defra is developing the design and operating model of the new regulator and will ensure the regulator has robust enforcement powers. These reforms will be set out in a future water reform bill.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Early Access to Medicines Scheme in facilitating patient access to new treatments for neuromuscular diseases.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) supports access to treatments for people living with neuromuscular diseases. The majority of neuromuscular diseases are defined as rare diseases. On the 2 November 2025, the MHRA published a policy paper on rare therapies and United Kingdom regulatory considerations, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rare-therapies-and-uk-regulatory-considerations/rare-therapies-and-uk-regulatory-considerationsThe Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS), is an existing pathway across the regulatory and access system designed to support innovative treatments being available to patients earlier in the development cycle, outside of a clinical trial. This includes for those living with neuromuscular diseases. The Government is collaborating across the regulatory system to continuously review the effectiveness of these pathways for rare diseases. Further information on the EAMS is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-the-early-access-to-medicines-scheme-eams

Innovation and Technology, what proportion of UKRI and other research council funding was spent on (a) dementia, (b) cancer, (c) stroke and (d) coronary heart disease research in each year between 2019 and 2025.

The Medical Research Council (MRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), supports world‑leading research to accelerate diagnosis, develop treatments and prevent disease.Details of funding from MRC, as well as other research councils within UKRI, on specific areas is provided in the table below: 2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25 Total(a)Dementia* MRC£44m£54m£50m£56m£65m£56m£334mRest of UKRI £29m£30m£31m£32m£23m£145mTotal£44m£83m£81m£87m£97m£88m£479m (b)Cancer MRC£68m£70m£71m£106m£73m£74m£462mRest of UKRI£61m£81m£69m£128m£143m£125m£607mTotal£129m£151m£140m£234m£216m£199m£1069m (c)Stoke MRC£47m£9m£21m£10m£15m£20m£121mRest of UKRI£6m£30m£12m£31m£50m£30m£148mTotal£53m£39m£33m£41m£65m£50m£269m (d) Coronary heart disease MRC£73m£18m£29m£44m£32m£64m£260mRest of UKRI£23m£24m£25m£49m£84m£55m£260mTotal£96m£42m£54m£93m£116m£119m£520m *'Rest of UKRI' spend figure for 2019/20 is unavailable. For 2024/25, ‘Rest of UKRI’ figure does not include funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps is she taking as a result of HM Governments report titled Global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security, published on 20 January 2026.

The Nature security assessment forms part of routine cross-government resilience planning and complements the UK’s National Security Strategy, National Risk Register and Chronic Risk Analysis. Climate change and nature loss act as risk multipliers, increasing pressures on food systems, water security and global stability. Assessing these risks helps ensure the UK is better prepared to anticipate, respond to, and mitigate future challenges. Defra, along with other Government Departments, is already taking action to address the potential risks identified in the assessment. Internationally, the UK is investing in forest and ocean protection and is on track to invest £11.6bn of International Climate Finance between 2021 to 2026, including £3bn for vital habitats such as tropical rainforests, and marine ecosystems, and to support indigenous communities. The UK is also taking action domestically: tree planting in England is at its highest rate in over twenty years; we are restoring peatlands, improving water quality, protecting pollinators, and have introduced landmark legislation to safeguard our marine environment. We are strengthening supply chain resilience through the Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy and supporting food security by backing British farmers through new technology, streamlined regulation, and nature-friendly farming schemes that reward sustainable production.

When he expects NICE to publish the outcomes of the appeals on its final draft guidance on donanemab and lecanemab.

The appeals against the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommendations on donanemab and lecanemab for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease were heard by NICE’s independent appeal panel in January. The next steps of the appraisal will be subject to the outcome of the appeals, and NICE will update its stakeholders in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish a timeline for the UK and Welsh Governments to jointly publish the 2026 Transition Plan, accompanied by interim strategic guidance for the current regulators, and to introduce the Water Reform Bill to Parliament.

The Transition Plan is part of our plan to reform the sector and will be published in due course. It will describe the transitional arrangements to enable the stable, successful delivery of reforms, and will be accompanied by a new Strategic Policy Statement for Ofwat and a Ministerial Direction for the Environment Agency.

If she will publish milestones for the Parental Leave Review.

The Review launched on 1 July 2025 and started with a period of discovery to understand the current system and gather evidence and views from stakeholders. We received almost 1,500 responses to the Call for Evidence. These are currently being analysed, and the findings will inform the Review. We are continuing to engage with stakeholders (including business groups, parent groups, and academics) throughout 2026 to inform the Review.The Review will conclude in early 2027 with a set of findings in which the Government will outline next steps for taking any reforms forward to implementation.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Amos Review interim report's findings regarding reports of racism and stereotyping in maternity and neonatal services; and what steps are being considered to respond to these issues.

The interim report of the national independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal care, chaired by Baroness Amos, underlines the unacceptable experiences of some women and their families due to racism and discrimination.The investigation aims to identify the drivers and impact of inequalities faced by women, babies and families from Black and Asian backgrounds as well as deprived and marginalised groups. A coherent single set of national recommendations will be published by the investigation in June, which the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce will address by developing a new action plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care.We are not waiting for the investigation to report. We are taking immediate actions, including a programme in all trusts to tackle discrimination and racism, while local systems are all implementing their Equity and Equality action plans. We have also launched a ‘Maternal Care Bundle’ which includes best practice for clinical conditions that are the leading causes of death for women from Black and Asian backgrounds.

When HMRC plans to move from Government Gateway to One Login.

HMRC detailed its ambitions for moving to GOV.UK One Login in its Transformation Roadmap which was published in July 2025. This can be found here: HMRC's Transformation Roadmap - GOV.UK HMRC entered public beta testing for new individual customers (those without a Government Gateway account) in February 2026 and controlled numbers of new users can now sign up to access HMRC digital services through GOV.UK One Login. This public beta is scheduled to run until June 2026, prior to a full go-live for new individual customers later this year. This will be followed by existing individuals (those with a Government Gateway account) and agents and organisations, as set out in the Transformation Roadmap.

Whether he has assessed the potential merits of introducing measures to accelerate the roll-out of new newborn screening programmes for genetic diseases.

NHS England is currently planning a large-scale in-service evaluation (ISE) of screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which is a genetic condition, in newborn screening services to start in January 2027. Over 400,000 babies would be offered screening as part of this ISE. The ISE will help inform a future UK NSC recommendation on whether screening for SMA should be added to the NHS Newborn Blood Spot Screening Programme (NBSP).An ISE for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), another genetic condition, was undertaken in some newborn screening services in England from 2021 and concluded in 2024. During this period, 900,000 babies were screened, and 10 babies were found to have SCID. NHS England is planning to continue the SCID ISE alongside the ISE for SMA.The Generation Study, which launched in 2024, is evaluating the effectiveness of using whole genome sequencing to test 100,000 newborns for genetic mutations associated with more than 200 rare genetic conditions. The sequencing of 100,000 newborns through the Generation Study will be completed by summer 2027.The evaluation part of the study will then be completed and shared with the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) which advises ministers on all screening matters. The UK NSC will assess the findings to determine whether any newborn genomic screening can be recommended or whether more research is required.

What comparative assessment he has made of expected outcomes for babies with spinal muscular atrophy living in areas (a) included in the in-service evaluation of newborn screening for SMA and (b) not included in the in-service evaluation.

The Government recognises the challenges faced by those living with rare diseases and their families and is committed to improving outcomes. This is why the National Health Service is planning a large-scale in-service evaluation (ISE) of screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in newborn screening services. This ISE is due to start in January 2027 and will offer screening to over 400,000 babies.As the ISE is still in the planning stages, the Department has not yet made a comparative assessment of expected outcomes for babies identified through the evaluation compared with babies born in areas not included in the evaluation.Babies born outside the evaluation would continue to receive the current standard of care, including access to specialist clinical assessment and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved treatments where clinically appropriate. Clinical decisions for babies with suspected or confirmed SMA are made by specialist clinicians, regardless of where a child is born.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has asked NHS England to investigate whether it would be appropriate and feasible for the ISE to be rolled out across the whole of England.Any screening programme that would impact approximately 650,000 babies per year in the UK must be underpinned by high quality robust evidence that demonstrates that screening will do more good than harm. The ISE will help inform a future UK National Screening Committee recommendation on whether screening for SMA should be added to the NHS Newborn Blood Spot Screening Programme.

What consideration his department has given to the Amos Review's interim report's findings that some women and families felt their concerns were not listened to during pregnancy and labour, and how this will inform future policy development.

In her interim report, Baroness Amos has identified a key issue of women and families being disregarded and not listened to during pregnancy and labour, repeatedly hearing from women and families about a lack of transparency, clear communication, and learning when things went wrong.Unfortunately, too many women are not listened to by the National Health Service, and the Government has been clear that it is unacceptable. Health professionals need to listen to women and respond appropriately, and that is why we introduced Jess’s Rule and are rolling out Martha’s Rule to every acute hospital, which ensure patients get their voices heard and their concerns aren’t dismissed. We're putting women's voices at the heart of our renewed Women's Health Strategy, which will be published soon.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s maternity and neonatal taskforce will address the recommendations from the investigation when they are published in June, through the development of a national action plan. The taskforce will also hold the system to account for improving outcomes and experiences for women and babies. Families’ voices will be central to the taskforce.