Written questions by Stafford.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment on people with severe disabilities.

We are taking action to focus PIP more on those with the greatest needs, by introducing a new eligibility requirement. The change to the PIP eligibility criteria will mean that people with a higher level of functional need – for example, people who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them – still receive PIP.We are also taking action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits as set out in the Green Paper. This includes exploring ways to improve PIP assessments through digitalising transfer of medical information, using evidence from eligibility for other services to reduce the need for people with very severe health conditions to undergo functional assessments and improving communication with people receiving awards who are expected to remain on disability benefits for life. For those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’(opens in a new tab).A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

Whether the upcoming 10-Year Plan for the NHS will include specific commitments to improve (a) diagnosis, (b) access to treatment and (c) support for research outcomes for people living with dementia.

The Government wants a society where every person with dementia receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The 10-Year Health Plan will address the challenges diagnosed by Lord Darzi and will set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of complex health and care needs, including people living with dementia. We are carefully considering policies, including those that impact people with dementia, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners, as we develop the plan. In February, I hosted a roundtable discussion where partners shared how dementia, ageing well, and digital inclusion could be reflected in the 10-Year Health Plan.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) Lecanemab and (b) other new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease are made accessible to eligible patients through the NHS.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service in England on whether new medicines should be routinely funded based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NICE evaluates all new medicines, including medicines for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, and aims to publish guidance for the NHS as close as possible to licensing. The NHS in England is legally required to fund recommended treatments, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.The NICE concluded that the evidence presented so far shows that neither donanemab nor lecanemab provide enough benefit to justify the substantial resources the NHS would need to commit to implement access to them. The NICE has not yet published final guidance on either medicine, and its independent Appraisal Committee will meet on 14 May to consider the responses to its recent consultation.To prepare for the new generation of dementia treatments in development, NHS England is working to ensure the diagnostic and treatment capacity, clinical pathway redesign, and investments are in place to support the adoption of any new licensed and NICE-recommended treatments as soon as possible.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of limiting sponsored workers to 20 hours of secondary employment on migrant workers; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of permitting additional regulated employment to support those workers to meet living costs.

The salary rules we have in place on many sponsored work routes are designed to ensure workers are paid enough from their primary sponsored employment to be able to support themselves without needing to take second jobs.The rules are designed to strike a balance between allowing sponsored workers to take on additional work if they wish, while ensuring the main purpose of their stay in the UK remains the primary sponsored work for which their visas were issued.As well as working their contracted hours sponsored workers can work overtime with their sponsoring employer and can apply to work any number of hours in secondary employment with another licensed sponsor. This arrangement does not count as supplementary employment, therefore they can work as many hours as they agree with their employer, subject to working time regulations.Further people can also undertake up to 20 hours supplementary employment. This was expanded in Spring 2024 to allow people in the Skilled Worker route to do supplementary employment in any eligible occupation instead of it having to be the same occupation or a job on the Shortage Occupation List as used to be the case.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of expansions in clean air zones on levels of costs for road users.

The Government has no plans to expand any of the Clean Air Zones, and therefore no assessment has been made.

Whether his Department plans to reinstate a national target for local health systems to improve dementia diagnosis rates in future iterations of the NHS Operational Planning Guidance.

The Government and NHS England remain committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7%.The NHS Operational Planning Guidance is not an exhaustive list of everything the National Health Service does, and the absence of a target does not mean it is not an area of focus. We have yet to take decisions on future iterations of the guidance.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking with (a) broadband network infrastructure providers, (b) local authorities and (c) utility companies to prevent vouchers issued under the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme from expiring before rollout to premises is completed; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of renewing expired vouchers where works are not completed by the required deadline.

Vouchers issued under the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme are valid for 12 months from the date issued. Building Digital UK (BDUK) maintains regular contact with local authorities and broadband suppliers to discuss any issues relating to the delivery of voucher projects, and suppliers can request an extension if they are experiencing delays to their rollout due to third parties, for example as a result of wayleave application and civil works.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the Advertising Standards Authority on tackling misleading advertising by commercial intermediaries offering access to government services.

The Minister for the Cabinet Office has not had any recent discussions with the Advertising Standards Authority specifically relating to this topic.

Whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of (a) third-party organisations and (b) quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations that charge for facilitating access to free government services.

Information on third-party organisations and quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations that charge for facilitating access to services provided free of charge is not held by the Cabinet Office.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a formal requirement for local planning authorities to notify mobile network operators when a housing development likely to increase network demand is granted approval.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 29727 on 18 February 2025. In addition to national planning policy and guidance, the Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development in England, published February 2022, sets out the roles and responsibilities for all relevant stakeholders, including applicants and local authorities, when planning for, consulting on and installing telecommunications infrastructure.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring housing developers share (a) occupancy projections, (b) site layout data and (c) construction timelines with mobile network operators to allow for forward planning of network capacity.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 29727 on 18 February 2025. In addition to national planning policy and guidance, the Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development in England, published February 2022, sets out the roles and responsibilities for all relevant stakeholders, including applicants and local authorities, when planning for, consulting on and installing telecommunications infrastructure.

Whether the Government has considered establishing a regulatory framework for third-party entities that charge for assisting with (a) Government transactions, (b) DVLA licence renewals and (c) passport applications.

It is for those departments providing services to the public to ensure that third parties do not mislead citizens into making additional or unnecessary payments for accessing those services.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment made of the potential impact of the Renters’ Rights Bills on employment levels in the estate agency sector.

My Department published the Renters’ Rights Bill Impact Assessment (IA) on 22 November 2024. It received a ‘Green’ rating from the Regulatory Policy Committee, indicating that it is ‘fit for purpose’.In the IA, the government estimates there are 22,900 letting agents in England in 2023 and 64% of landlords use their services (sources: ONS and English Private Landlord Survey).The IA does not assess employment levels in the sector but does monetise the familiarisation costs of understanding and adjusting to new regulations for lettings agents. The IA also monetises the commensurate loss of income for lettings agents and other related business of reduced churn in the private rented sector as a result of more stable tenancies. Landlords will benefit from the equivalent saving in letting agent fees.There are also benefits that the Department has not been able to monetise, for example letting agents are expected to benefit from the Private Rented Sector Database because they will be able to register on behalf of landlords – generating income from this new service.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department assesses the impact of new housing on the mobile telecommunication networks at any stage post-approval.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 29727 on 18 February 2025. In addition to national planning policy and guidance, the Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development in England, published February 2022, sets out the roles and responsibilities for all relevant stakeholders, including applicants and local authorities, when planning for, consulting on and installing telecommunications infrastructure.

Communities and Local Government, whether mobile network operators were consulted on the deployment of communications infrastructure in areas of planned housing growth as part of the process to inform the December 2024 revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 29727 on 18 February 2025. In addition to national planning policy and guidance, the Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development in England, published February 2022, sets out the roles and responsibilities for all relevant stakeholders, including applicants and local authorities, when planning for, consulting on and installing telecommunications infrastructure.

Communities and Local Government, if she will consider issuing guidance to local authorities to treat mobile network operators as statutory consultees for large-scale residential developments.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 29727 on 18 February 2025. In addition to national planning policy and guidance, the Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development in England, published February 2022, sets out the roles and responsibilities for all relevant stakeholders, including applicants and local authorities, when planning for, consulting on and installing telecommunications infrastructure.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of updating the NPPF to include guidance on the integration of passive telecommunications infrastructure at the masterplanning stage of new residential developments.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 29727 on 18 February 2025. In addition to national planning policy and guidance, the Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development in England, published February 2022, sets out the roles and responsibilities for all relevant stakeholders, including applicants and local authorities, when planning for, consulting on and installing telecommunications infrastructure.

If he will make it his policy to prohibit (a) Government agencies and (b) Departments from (i) engaging and (ii) endorsing commercial intermediaries that charge users for access to otherwise free public services.

It is for those departments providing services to the public to ensure that third parties do not mislead citizens into making additional or unnecessary payments for accessing those services.

What steps his Department is taking to prevent unofficial websites from charging fees for government services that are otherwise free of charge.

It is for those departments providing services to the public to ensure that third parties do not mislead citizens into making additional or unnecessary payments for accessing those services.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed abolition of NHS England on healthcare suppliers; and whether he plans to publish guidance on changes to (a) procurement systems, (b) leadership structures and (c) the NHS supply chain to support business (i) planning and (ii) continuity.

Ministers and senior Department officials will work with the new executive team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead the formation of a new joint centre. As we work to bring the two organisations together, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds, which includes working with healthcare suppliers and the future organisation and leadership of procurement systems and National Health Service supply chains.The abolition of NHS England will strip out the unnecessary bureaucracy and cut the duplication that comes from having two organisations doing the same job, and we will empower staff to focus on delivering better care for patients, driving productivity up, and getting waiting times down.