Written questions by Stafford.

What assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of reports that Springer Nature has restricted access to academic articles in China on (a) human rights, (b) democracy and (c) other politically sensitive topics.

This government is absolutely committed to, and will continue to protect, academic freedom.The department recognises the concerns of overseas interference in the academic sector and regularly works with colleagues from across government, the Office for Students, and other stakeholders to ensure that overseas influence does not interfere with academic freedom and related policies.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2024 to Question 10930 on Audiology: Paediatrics, how many children have been (a) recalled for reassessment and (b) needed onward referral to clinical services following the review by the NHS England National Paediatric Hearing Improvement Programme.

The Department does not hold this information.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2024 to Question 10931 on Audiology: Paediatrics, what recent assessment his Department has made of whether all providers of audiology services for children will meet the UK Accreditation Services Improving Quality in Physiological Services Accreditation standards; and whether his Department has set a date by which they must do so.

NHS England issued a letter to all integrated care boards (ICBs) in August 2023 which included the recommendation that all trusts should be working towards the United Kingdom Accreditation Service’s (UKAS) Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS) accreditation, as part of the Paediatric Hearing Services Improvement Programme. This includes that ICBs should ensure that there are plans in place to implement, achieve, or maintain accreditation using the available tools, and that there is oversight of quality management systems. Further information on NHS England’s issued letter is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/paediatric-hearing-services-improvement-programme-system-recommendations-for-immediate-action/As part of the programme, NHS England is working with the Care Quality Commission to increase uptake of the UKAS’s IQIPS accreditation and ensure compliance with national diagnostic regulatory standards, alongside a range of other interventions to improve the quality and resilience of these services.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of a 25 pence per week increase for state pension claimants.

No such assessment has been made. We are absolutely committed, through the Triple Lock, to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. This means that from April 2025, subject to Parliamentary approval, the basic and new State Pensions will be increased by 4.1%. The full yearly basic State Pension will increase by around £360, and the full yearly rate of the new State Pension will increase by around £470.

Whether her Department taking steps to prevent (a) members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and (b) others involved in violent incidents against Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan from entering the UK.

The Home Office does not comment on individual cases. The Immigration Rules provide for the refusal of entry clearance, permission to enter and permission to stay on general grounds, regardless of the category in which an individual makes an application. A person will usually be refused on general grounds if there is any evidence in their background, immigration history, criminal records or past behaviour which shows that they should not be allowed to enter or stay in the UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to encourage Forestry England to introducing disabled parking spaces in the Bourne Woods car park, Surrey.

Parking in the nation’s forests is an operational matter for Forestry England. Forestry England values accessibility for all visitors. It is not currently able to mark out designated spaces for disabled parking in some forests due to the location of these car parks within woodland environments and the unsuitability of the surfaces. This includes for Bourne Woods, Surrey. Forestry England is looking at alternative options to address this issue and will be trialling potential approaches across its car parks nationally.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential (a) merits of removing students from council tax and (b) impact of removing students from council tax on routine (i) services and (ii) maintenance.

Full-time students are generally disregarded for council tax purposes. Where all residents of a dwelling are disregarded, due to being full-time students, the dwelling will be exempt from council tax. Additionally, where a hall of residence is provided predominantly for the accommodation of students it will also be exempt for council tax purposes.

How many paediatric audiology departments there are in England; and how many of those meet the UK Accreditation Services Improving Quality in Physiological Services Accreditation standards.

There are 140 providers of audiology services for children in England. Currently, 30 providers meet the UK Accreditation Services Improving Quality in Physiological Services Accreditation standards. Two providers are pending re-instatement of accreditation, and a further 16 have applied for accreditation.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy not to provide Official Development Assistance to countries that have a higher (a) gross domestic product and (b) purchasing parity power than the UK.

In line with international rules, the UK provides Official Development Assistance (ODA) only to countries with a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita below $13,846. All recipients of our ODA have a lower GNI per capita than the UK, including when adjusted for purchasing power parity.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for the UK's diplomatic relationship with India of reports of India holding talks on a strategic partnership with Russia.

HMG recognises India's longstanding relationship with Russia. We regularly raise Russia's illegal war in Ukraine with the Government of India. The Foreign Secretary did so most recently with India's External Affairs Minister in September. More broadly, the UK and India are close bilateral partners, and we are exploring ways to enhance our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. When he visited India in July, the Foreign Secretary discussed with Prime Minster Modi, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and NSA Doval how we might strengthen the UK-India relationship for economic growth as well as improve cooperation on defence, technology, climate and education.

What recent progress has been made by the NHS England National Paediatric Hearing Improvement Programme; and what the findings were of its review of data for new-born babies.

The NHS England Paediatric Hearing Services Improvement Programme, led by the National Health Services’ National Medical Director and Chief Scientific Officer, undertook a comprehensive review of all 140 paediatric audiology services across England to identify services not meeting the recommended standards of care.NHS England is working with integrated care boards to ensure individual cases are reassessed and, where appropriate, that children are recalled for reassessment and onward referral to clinical services as necessary. NHS England aims to complete these reassessments by March 2025. In addition, NHS England has put in place workstreams to ensure high quality professional standards are adhered to in hospitals and in community services, and that the right workforce is in place to deliver these services. A national External Quality Assessment scheme is in development to improve diagnostic consistency and to highlight any areas for early intervention.

If he will bring forward legislative proposals to require drivers to report cat killings under Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

There are no plans to amend section 170 of the Road Traffic Act to make it mandatory for drivers to report road collisions involving cats. Although there is no obligation to report all collisions with animals on roads, Rule 286 of The Highway Code advises drivers to report any collisions involving an animal to the police, and if possible, they should make enquiries to ascertain the owner of domestic animals and advise them of the situation. Since June this year, all cats in England over 20 weeks of age must be microchipped and registered on a compliant database, unless exempt or free-living. This will increase the likelihood that cats can be reunited with their owners.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Renter's Rights Bill on tackling unaffordable requests for rent in advance.

The Government recognise that requests for large amounts of rent in advance can put financial strain on tenants and can exclude certain groups from renting all together. We want to ensure that the Renters’ Rights Bill protects renters against such demands, and we will keep the matter under review as the Bill progresses.

Whether his Department holds data on the number of days of strike action by council waste and recycling workers in each of the last three financial years.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 4th October 2024 is attached.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to take legislative steps to ensure that pensioners are not impacted by annual retirement property price increases.

Leaseholders living in retirement housing who pay variable service charges will benefit from measures contained in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 that will ensure all leaseholders receive minimum key financial and non-financial information on a regular basis, including introducing a standardised service charge demand form and an annual report, so that leaseholders can scrutinise and better challenge costs if they are considered unreasonable. The Government are committed to acting quickly to implement the provisions of the Act.