Written questions by Campbell.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership on each (a) nation and (b) region of the UK.

The UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is expected to support jobs and create opportunities for business growth in every part of the UK. An impact assessment was published regarding the UK's accession to CPTPP and the potential long-run economic impact of the agreement. The analysis detailed the prospective impacts on all the UK’s regions and nations and demonstrated that UK GDP could increase by £2.0 billion every year in the long run.

What estimate she has made of how many hotels will be required as temporary accommodation for people seeking asylum in Northern Ireland by the end of 2025.

This Government inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain. We took immediate action to resolve that chaos by restarting asylum processing, establishing the new Border Security Command to tackle the people-smuggling gangs, cracking down on illegal working across the country, and increasing the return and removal of people with no right to be here.Since the General Election, there has been a net increase of six hotels in use across the UK; however, ten are scheduled for closure by the end of March 2025. It remains our absolute commitment to end the use of hotels over time, as part of our reduction in overall asylum accommodation costs. In the interim, we are also continuing to increase our operational activity against smuggling gangs and illegal working, and we have increased returns to their highest level since 2018, with 16,400 people removed in the first six months this government was in office. Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, and by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab). In terms of the accommodation of asylum seekers in Northern Ireland, it remains the case that only those claiming asylum in Northern Ireland are accommodated there.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2024 to Question 5537 on Bowel Cancer: Screening, whether he expects bowel screening for 50 year-olds to be completed by (a) autumn or (b) winter 2025.

The National Health Service in England has been gradually reducing the age for bowel screening from 60 years old down to 50 years old, since 2021/22. The extension to 50 years old is expected to be completed by 31 March 2025.

If he will ensure that discussions on the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention include trade between mainland Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

We are always looking at ways to reduce barriers to trade - within our clear red lines - because having a smooth trading relationship with European partners is essential to driving growth at home.This is one of those options we are open to looking at to reduce barriers, and it’s right and responsible that we are looking at it to determine what is in the national interest of the whole of the UK. But we do not currently have any plans to join the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention.

What steps he is taking to retain (a) doctors and (b) other health professionals, in the context of the abolition of the lifetime allowance on pension savings.

The abolition of the lifetime allowance for tax-free pension saving incentivises senior doctors and other health professionals to continue their National Health Service work. Following extensive engagement with staff, the 10 Year Plan will set out a wide-ranging programme to improve staff retention, including for doctors. Alongside this, NHS England is leading targeted retention work through their NHS Retention Programme. This programme, coupled with the NHS People Promise, aims to improve the support that employers offer to their staff and build a more resilient and supportive workplace culture. It includes initiatives focussed on creating a flexible work environment, addresses career development opportunities, and seeks to enhance staff wellbeing. These elements are crucial in reducing attrition.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the conditions that Jimmy Lai is being held by Chinese authorities.

Jimmy Lai's case is a priority for the Government. We continue to press for consular access, which the Hong Kong Prison Authorities have refused. The Government takes all allegations of mistreatment very seriously and will follow up with action appropriate to the circumstances of the case. The Government has consistently raised our concerns around Mr Lai's case with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities: for example, the Prime Minister raised his case with President Xi in November, and I raised Mr Lai's case in my meetings during my November visit to Hong Kong.

If she will make an assessment of trends in the level of consumer credit debt relating to car purchases in the last five years.

The Government regularly engages with the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to monitor personal finances and debt levels. According to the FCA, 2 million cars were bought on finance in the 12 months to October 2024, with a total of £38.7 billion being borrowed. HMT does not hold data for the last 5 years.

How many meetings of Intertrade UK he plans to attend in 2025.

Intertrade UK will serve as a non-statutory advisory body that supports the East-West Council (EWC) in promoting all internal UK trade. We will be providing further details on the membership of the group and how the work of the group will be taken forward in due course.

Media and Sport, what changes she plans to make to the support her Department offers for cultural activities involving children and young people by the end of this Parliament.

This government recognises the importance of access to cultural activities for children and young people. In summer, we will publish an ambitious new National Youth Strategy, co-produced with young people and the sector.In 2025/26, DCMS Programmes will create thousands of opportunities for young people to access enriching activities, including in the culture sector. In addition, 79% of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisations are delivering activity for children and young peopleDCMS also supports the Department for Education’s expert-led, independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, launched in July last year, which seeks to deliver a broader curriculum so that children and young people do not miss out on subjects such as music, the arts and drama.

What recent discussions her Department has had with representatives of people affected by proposed changes to (a) Personal Independence Payments, (b) Work Capability Assessments and (b) the Disability Living Allowance.

We believe there is a strong case to change the system of health and disability benefits across Great Britain so that it better enables people to enter and remain in work, to respond to the complex and fluctuating nature of the health conditions many people live with today. This government is committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do, and with any reform, including the Health and Disability Green Paper we intend to publish in the Spring, we will consult with disabled people and representative organisations. Ahead of the formal consultation for the Green Paper, we have already started to explore ways of engaging with disabled people and their representatives, including through stakeholder roundtables and public visits, and look forward to progressing these initiatives over the coming months. About the PIP service specifically: the Health Transformation Programme is modernising health and disability benefit services, to improve people’s experience of applying for PIP. The Programme will transform the entire PIP service, from finding out about benefits through to decisions, eligibility, and paymentsThe Programme communicates and engages frequently with disabled people and external stakeholders – including national charities and other organisations that support people with disabilities – about proposed changes. Their opinions and suggestions are taken on board as we test new iterations of the transformed service.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing bowel screening for people aged over 74.

In the United Kingdom, national screening programmes are introduced based on the recommendations of the UK National Screening Committee, an independent scientific advisory committee which advises ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries on all aspects of population and targeted screening, as well as supporting implementation.As screening programmes can cause harms as well as benefits, each of the adult screening programmes has both an upper and lower age range within which there is good scientific evidence that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms.The UK National Screening Committee does not currently recommend routine bowel screening over the age of 74 years old, as there is a lack of evidence regarding the harms and benefits of screening above this age. Once people are 75 years old or over, they can ask for a bowel screening kit every two years by phoning the free bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 July 2024 to Question 1466 on Sport: Public Appointments, what recent progress she has made on appointing people based in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales to the boards of public bodies.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport remains committed to drawing upon the wealth of talent and experience across the whole of the United Kingdom when making appointments to the Boards of its Public Bodies. The Department is taking forward a number of new approaches to increase the awareness of Public Appointment opportunities and supporting candidates throughout the process.All DCMS Public Appointments are advertised on the HM Government Public Appointments Website. We welcome applications from people across the country, including those based in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

If he will have discussions with representatives of the engineering sector on the impact of the British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024.

The Department for Business and Trade works closely with businesses in a range of sectors, including manufacturing, construction, aerospace, and automotive sectors, and will continue to. Each Government department engages with relevant sectors where appropriate.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2024 to Question 16707 on Electric Vehicles, what assessment she has made of whether there will be sufficient charging points for the number of electric vehicles that are estimated to be on the road by 2027.

As of 1 January, there are over 73,000 public charging devices installed throughout the UK. In the past year, nearly 20,000 charging devices were added, making it a record-breaking year. This progress was recognised in a report published by the National Audit Office on 13th December 2024 which outlined that chargepoint roll out in the UK is on track to meet forecast demand out to 2030. The fast pace of rollout is set to continue, with the Government’s £381m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund alone delivering over 100,000 public chargepoints across England over the next few years.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 20149 on Torpedoes: Procurement, how much of the cost is the through life management of the programme.

The total funds allocated for the Spearfish torpedo programme are approximately £1154 million which includes the approximate cost of £626 million for the through life management of the programme.

What estimate she has made of whether the first applications for UK passports under the British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024 will be available before the summer recess in 2025.

We continue to work on the operational changes for implementation of the British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024. The Home Office will notify interested Members once a prospective timeline for commencement has been agreed. Once the Act has commenced, applications for registration will be considered within normal processing times, and successful applicants will be able to apply for a British citizen passport.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2025 to Question 23717 on Income Tax: Tax Allowances, if she will make an estimate of the number of full time employees not paying income tax due to their salary being below £13,000 in April 2028.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 January 2025 to Question 23717.

What steps he is taking to help young people with cerebral palsy.

We want a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition such as cerebral palsy, receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care, with their families and carers also supported. We will change the National Health Service so that it becomes not just a sickness service, but able to prevent ill health in the first place. This will help us be better prepared for the change in the nature of disease and allow our services to focus more on the management of chronic, long-term conditions like cerebral palsy.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published guidance on care and support for children and young people with cerebral palsy, to support healthcare professionals and commissioners. The guidance recommends service providers develop clear pathways that allow patients with cerebral palsy access to multi-disciplinary teams, specialist neurology services, and regular reviews of their clinical and functional needs.  This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng62NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme aims to improve care for people with neurological conditions in England, including those with cerebral palsy, by reducing variation and delivering care more equitably across the country.  The GIRFT National Speciality Report provided the opportunity to share successful initiatives between trusts, to improve patient services nationally.In addition, the Neurology Transformation Programme has developed a model of integrated care for neurology services to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time, for all neurology patients, including providing care closer to home.  A toolkit is being developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model.The majority of services for people with cerebral palsy are commissioned locally by ICBs, which are best placed to make decisions according to local need. Nevertheless, at a national level, the Government is working closely with NHS England to continue to improve services for people with neurological conditions, including those with cerebral palsy.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2025 to Question 23268 on State Retirement Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to advise people that they may be eligible for the additional pension payments.

Those who are ordinarily resident in Great Britain on their 80th birthday and who meet the required residency conditions will receive the increase automatically without having to make a claim if their basic State Pension is less than £101.55 a week (£105.70 from April 2025). Those who are getting no State Pension at age 80 or who get Graduated Retirement Benefit only, will need to make a claim. The Category D over 80 pension is not part of the new State Pension, but it continues to be available for people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016. Information about the over 80 pension is available on Gov.uk.

If she will have discussions with the credit union movement on expanding their role in offering financial services to individuals.

The Government has made clear its strong support for the credit union sector, recognising the value that credit unions bring to their members in local communities across the country in providing products and affordable credit. It continues to engage regularly with this sector to understand the current barriers they face and consider further opportunities for growth. The Chancellor announced new measures to support the growth of the credit union and mutuals sector in her Mansion House speech on 14 November. This included publishing a call for evidence on the potential to reform common bonds for credit unions in Great Britain, asking the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) to produce a report on the mutuals landscape by the end of 2025, and welcoming the establishment of an industry-led Mutual and Co-operative Business Council. Responsibility for credit unions in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. Treasury officials engage with their counterparts in the Department for the Economy.