Written questions by Maguire.

If she will make it her policy to (a) publish and (b) notify the House of Commons when licences are issued for accessing frozen Libyan assets.

Specific licensing purposes are provided for under the Libya (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020. Where these purposes apply and where the conditions in those grounds have been met, HM Treasury may authorise activity involving frozen assets. OFSI releases the OFSI Annual Review each year which provides information about the number of licences issued under each regime. The figures are presented only in anonymised, aggregate form and do not provide information on individual accounts, entities or licences for confidentiality purposes. OFSI does not publish information about individual licence applications or decisions. Details are kept confidential, save where disclosure is required by law or ordered by a court. This is to ensure and maintain confidentiality and to comply with UK data protection law. It would not be appropriate to publicise information about specific licences.

With reference to NHS England's 2023/34 Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance, updated on 27 January 2024, what steps he is taking to ensure ICBs increase (a) direct access and (b) self -referral to audiology services.

As part of our effort to shift care from hospital to home, the Government wants to support people to live independently in the community. We pledged in the 10-Year Health Plan, published in July 2025, that through the NHS App, patients will be able to book appointments, communicate with professionals, receive advice, draft or view their care plan, and self-refer to local tests and services.The current availability of self-referral and direct access to audiology services depends on local commissioning arrangements and service protocols, including integrated care board (ICB) commissioning. Currently, self-referral to audiology services is usually for those with age related hearing loss.NHS England is working with ICBs to support greater standardisation of self-referral arrangements, to assess opportunities to bring more of the self-referral process into the NHS App and website in future, where appropriate.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of pharmaceutical prices on clinical outcomes.

The National Health Service has a finite budget, and it is vital that it is allocated in a way that maximises benefits for all patients. The prices that companies charge for their medicines are an important consideration in determining whether they should be routinely funded by the NHS. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that makes recommendations for the NHS on whether new medicines should be routinely funded based on an assessment of their costs, including the price that the company sets, and the clinical benefits that they bring to patients. In developing its recommendations, NICE evaluates medicines against a threshold that is used in determining whether a specified product is a clinically and a cost-effective use of the health budget compared to other potential uses of that budget.The recently announced increase to the cost-effectiveness threshold will, alongside measures announced in the Life Sciences Sector Plan, increase both the speed and breadth of patient access to innovative medicines and encourage growth in United Kingdom based clinical trials.

What steps he is taking to ensure the well-being of prison guards witnessing hunger strikes.

By the nature of their roles, staff working in the prison system can experience challenging situations and it is essential that they are supported to carry out their important roles to support prisoners, including those who refuse food. Given these challenges, we provide extensive mental health support, including a 24-hour helpline, confidential counselling, and online wellbeing services.We deliver Trauma Risk Management training (TRiM) - a peer-led support scheme for frontline staff who have experienced a traumatic event - in all establishments, and our TRiM practitioners and Care Teams provide further support following any incidents while on duty.The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) offers confidential 24/7 telephone helpline for counselling and provides a range of wellbeing and health promotion workshops. EAP also delivers reflective sessions which are a proactive mental ill health preventative intervention. The sessions focus on the impact of traumatic events at work, helping employees to develop coping strategies and preventing an adverse impact on their professional and private life.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has considered compensating victims from the taxes collected from Libya’s frozen assets.

In recent months, ministers have met on multiple occasions with UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored Irish Republican Army (IRA) terrorism and all victims of the Troubles, and those conversations continue to shape our approach. The responsibility for providing compensation specifically for the actions of the Qadhafi regime is the responsibility of the Libyan State. It is not therefore for the UK Government to divert UK public funds for this particular purpose.

Whether income requirements will be (a) waived and (b) adapted for BN(O) visa applicants in full-time education.

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK and is committed to maintaining lawful routes of entry for people from Hong Kong, including the BN(O) route.BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.We are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation, including any transitional arrangements and exemptions from the mandatory requirements.In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.We will also consider the requirements for English language qualifications in nationality applications, and any changes will be announced at a later date.

Whether the English language component of the citizenship application will change to B2 for incoming BN(O) visa applicants.

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK and is committed to maintaining lawful routes of entry for people from Hong Kong, including the BN(O) route.BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.We are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation, including any transitional arrangements and exemptions from the mandatory requirements.In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.We will also consider the requirements for English language qualifications in nationality applications, and any changes will be announced at a later date.

Whether mandatory settlement requirements for BN(O) visa holders will be retrospectively changed.

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK and is committed to maintaining lawful routes of entry for people from Hong Kong, including the BN(O) route.BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.We are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation, including any transitional arrangements and exemptions from the mandatory requirements.In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.We will also consider the requirements for English language qualifications in nationality applications, and any changes will be announced at a later date.

What steps she is taking to ensure that entry routes to the UK remain open for people in Hong Kong.

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK and is committed to maintaining lawful routes of entry for people from Hong Kong, including the BN(O) route.BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.We are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation, including any transitional arrangements and exemptions from the mandatory requirements.In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.We will also consider the requirements for English language qualifications in nationality applications, and any changes will be announced at a later date.

How B2 requirements will be assessed for 18-year-old BN(O) dependants.

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK and is committed to maintaining lawful routes of entry for people from Hong Kong, including the BN(O) route.BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.We are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation, including any transitional arrangements and exemptions from the mandatory requirements.In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.We will also consider the requirements for English language qualifications in nationality applications, and any changes will be announced at a later date.

What steps he is taking to expand access to community-based NHS hearing health services.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to commission cost-effective healthcare to meet the needs of their local population, and this includes community-based hearing services.The Medium-Term Planning Framework sets a clear target for systems to work to in order to reduce long waits for community health services, and this includes community audiology services. By 2028/29, at least 80% of community health services activity should take place within 18 weeks. In addition, Standardising Community Health Services sets out an overview of core community health services that ICBs should consider when planning for their local populations to support improved commissioning and delivery of community health services, including community-based hearing services.

If his Department will release national messaging for patients on the difference between routine and urgent core-hours requirements for GPs.

As part of the 2025/26 GP Contract, NHS England published You and Your General Practice (YYGP) guidance. YYGP has been developed to help patients understand what to expect from their general practice (GP) and how they can get the best from their GP team. The guidance is based on the contractual requirements that all contractors providing essential GP services must meet and is intended to make patients more informed and to increase practice accountability to patients, with the aim of improving services and patient engagement.GPs are required to provide a link on their website to the NHS England YYGP document, which can also be found here on the NHS England website at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/you-and-your-general-practice/The guidance will remain under review and will continue to be updated to reflect changes made to GP contracts.Anyone who requires treatment that a GP or healthcare professional regards as an emergency, or as immediately necessary, should be provided that treatment free of charge, regardless of whether they are registered with a GP.There is no set list on what treatment a GP should provide in an emergency, as it is up to the GP’s clinical judgement to decide the correct treatment at the time.

What steps his Department is taking to support suppliers with extended GP online consultation hours.

General practices (GPs) have been required to offer and promote an online consultation tool to their registered patients since 2021. The change introduced in October 2025 regarding online access explicitly requires that all modes of contacting the practice are available at least during core hours, from 08:00 to 18:30. This means parity for walk-in, phone, and online access. This requirement builds on policies that have been in place for several years to encourage the shift to modern GPs.To support suppliers, NHS England sets clear functionality and accessibility standards for digital tools used in primary care. These standards enable suppliers to develop consistent and high-quality digital solutions, including online consultation tools.The recent online access requirement mainly impacts practices rather than suppliers, as it focuses on ensuring existing online consultation tools remain available during core hours rather than introducing new tools. NHS England provided extensive support to practices in the lead up to the introduction of these requirements and continues to do so. This includes reaching out to any practices that are struggling to help them to prepare, including providing guidance, webinars, case studies, and bringing in GPs and practice staff who are experts in service redesign and improvement in GP services.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of commissioning a national framework mandating ICBs to commission NHS community audiology services on a self-referral basis that include wax removal.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to commission cost-effective healthcare to meet the needs of their local population. This includes the arrangement of services for ear wax removal.The current availability of self-referral and direct access to audiology services depends on local commissioning arrangements and service protocols, including ICB commissioning. Currently, self-referral to audiology services is usually for those with age related hearing loss.NHS England is working with ICBs to support greater standardisation of self-referral arrangements and to assess opportunities to bring more of the self-referral process into the NHS App and website in future where appropriate.

What steps she is taking to help decarbonise refrigerated transport.

The Department for Transport continues to work with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on an Off-Road Machinery Decarbonisation Strategy, which includes transport refrigeration units (TRUs). This strategy will set out how off-road machinery can further decarbonise while maintaining competitiveness, attracting investment and supporting growth. To support this, we are reviewing the findings of a multi-year research project commissioned to ZEMO Partnership into the emissions from diesel-powered auxiliary engines, including from TRUs used on heavy goods vehicles. Alongside this, the Transport Industrial Commercial Refrigeration project, funded through the DESNZ Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, is expected to publish a roadmap that includes transport refrigeration in Spring 2026. The Department will review the roadmap and consider its implications.

If he will provide an update on the renewal of the Women’s Health Strategy and confirm if there will be an opportunity for organisations to contribute to the updated strategy.

Publishing a renewed Women’s Health Strategy next year will ensure the momentum from our recent achievements continues and is fully aligned with the 10-Year Health Plan. We will identify and remove enduring barriers to high-quality care, such as decreasing wait times for diagnosis and ensuring professionals listen to women and respond to their needs.We are currently engaging with external partners to inform the renewal of the strategy, bringing together voices from across Government, NHS England, public health, mental health, women’s health advocacy, and employment policy alongside women with lived experience of women’s health conditions.

What assessment his Department has made of making patient records owned by the patient.

Health records are not owned by patients, as the providers of care who create and maintain the records are the data controllers, although all patients have the right to access their records under the Data Protection Act 2018. Patients also have the legal right to ask for factual inaccuracies to be amended.The general practice (GP) record can be viewed online on the NHS App, or by logging onto the National Health Service website. Individuals can alternatively contact their practice to view their record. To view a hospital record, individuals can ask the trust where they are a patient.As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we are developing a single patient record which will give patients greater control over their records, and act as a patient passport to seamless care. It will provide a single, secure, and authoritative account of their data by bringing together all of a patient’s medical information from different records in one place, for example GP and hospital data, and patients will be able to view the record securely on the NHS App and add their own data, for example from a wearable device.

What the unit cost per day is for NHS (a) elective, (b) non-elective, (c) high dependency and (d) standard ward beds.

The following table shows the bed day cost for elective and non-elective admissions, for 2024/25:Financial yearQuestionPoint of delivery descriptionBed day cost2024/25ElectiveElective Inpatient£1,1982024/25Non electiveNon Elective Long Stay£7912024/25Non electiveNon Elective Short Stay£806Source: National Cost Collection Patient Level Cost dataset for admitted patient care. Point of delivery, cost and length of stay data submitted to the dataset by National Health Service providers in the latest financial year, 2024/25.NHS England does not hold the data to calculate the bed day cost for high dependency and standard ward beds.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of creating a permanent and protected ICB role for the appointed Women’s Health Champion in every Integrated Care System.

Integrated care boards are responsible for the planning, commissioning, and delivery of women’s health services, including oversight of the dedicated Women’s Health Champion role.The network of women’s health champions brings together senior leaders in women’s health from integrated care systems and local authorities to share best practice to improve women’s health outcomes across the life course and reduce health inequalities. The role is a voluntary commitment, and the Government has no plans to change this.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of embedding routine and cross-system commissioning and provision of post-pregnancy contraception in post-partum care.

No assessment has been made. The renewed Women’s Health Strategy will set out how the Government will take the next steps to improve women's healthcare as part of the 10-Year Health Plan and create a system that listens to women. Steps to improve contraception access are being fully considered as part of the renewal.