Written questions by Whately.

Communities and Local Government, when she plans to respond to the independent report entitled Our Future Homes: Housing that promotes wellbeing and community for an ageing population, published on 26 November 2024.

The government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations in the final report of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce.We are committed to enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market and we will continue to consider this issue as we develop our long-term housing strategy, which will be published later this year.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of pilot schemes for third party data sharing powers as set out in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill.

The Third Party Data sharing powers were a proposal under the previous government, separate to the measures proposed in this Bill.The Eligibility Verification Measure (EVM) is significantly different to the previously proposed Third Party Data power. EVM will be limited to information from banks and financial institutions only and will be used only for the purpose of helping to verify eligibility for benefits. The State Pension will be explicitly excluded, and it will be focussed initially on three benefits only: Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Employment and Support Allowance. A statutory Code of Practice will also be introduced and consulted on. There will be independent oversight reporting annually on the effectiveness of the measure and the legislation tightly defines what data can be gathered and for what purpose providing strong safeguards.To demonstrate the feasibility and potential of using data from banks to help verify eligibility for benefits, DWP has already conducted two Proof of Concepts which consisted of establishing data-sharing collaborations with two high-street banks. These exercises showed promising results, for example in the first exercise around half of the matches generated for DWP to review led to a positive outcome for the department. Further information about these Proof of Concepts can be found in the published impact assessment for the Bill - Impact Assessment The government is committed to rolling out the measure carefully through a test and learn approach to ensure it is workable and as effective as possible.

What discussions she has had with financial services sector stakeholders on the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill.

DWP continues to seek feedback on the bill through regular engagement with key stakeholders, including the financial services sector, at both official and ministerial level.Where there are particular areas of interest and expertise, detailed working group discussions are being held to ensure the measures are designed to be effective and take into consideration wider feedback from the sector.

How many hospital visits the Minister for Health (Secondary Care) has made in the last six months; and which hospitals she visited.

Since 14 July 2024, I have engaged in a total of nine visits, of which the following five were hospitals:Red Kite View;Southmead Hospital;Leeds General Infirmary;Newham Hospital; andMusgrove Park Hospital.

How many meetings the Minister for Health (Secondary Care) has attended on (a) A&E performance and (b) flow through the emergency care system.

I have attended regular winter preparedness meetings since 26 September 2024. Urgent and emergency care performance is a standing agenda item within these meetings.In addition, I have meetings most days to discuss the reform and improvement of the health and care system, with performance and patient flow a regular matter in such discussions.

If she will make an assessment of recent trends in the level the social care capacity available to support discharges from hospitals in the last 12 months.

Comparing December 2024 to December 2023, there was a 5% decrease in the average number of patients in hospital with delayed discharge at the end of each day. In December 2024, for patients with a length of stay of at least 14 days, an average of 33% of the delays were attributed to reasons relating to the capacity for onward care and support, due to issues with adult social care services, National Health Services, or housing. This proportion has come down from 37% in June 2024, when this figure was first published.

How many meetings he has attended to discuss winter preparedness.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has chaired eight meetings on winter preparedness since 2 December 2024.

Whether she plans to publish a summary of findings from the call for evidence on fit note reform.

The call for evidence was launched under the previous government to seek views on how the current fit note process works and the support required to facilitate meaningful work and health conversations. It closed on the 8 July 2024 and received around 1,900 responses. Insights and responses gathered will play an important role in shaping ongoing policy development.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2025 to Question 20687 on Employment, when she expects the Labour Market Advisory Board to finish their work.

The Labour Market Advisory Board, announced on the 23 July 2024, ensures that we listen and engage with a wide range of external views to design and deliver reforms to help drive the Government’s growth mission. The Board, chaired by Paul Gregg (former Director of the Centre for Analysis of Social Policy at the University of Bath), has expertise across the labour market and are working with officials on key priority areas. The role of the Board, set out in the Terms of Reference (Labour Market Advisory Board: Terms of Reference), is to provide ongoing insight, support and challenge to the Department across a range of priorities, including inactivity, youth employment, employer engagement and progression. As set out the Department will undertake a review of the membership and remit of the board after 12 months.

Whether her Department is collecting data about use of the Household Support Fund to support pensioners who are no longer in receipt of the winter fuel payment.

The Department for Work and Pensions publishes management information on the Household Support Fund, including details of the proportion of funding spent on households with pensioners, as well as the proportion spent on energy and water. The latest management information, covering the scheme running from April 2023 to March 2024, is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/household-support-fund-4-management-information-for-1-april-2023-to-31-march-2024. Local Authorities have the discretion to design their own local schemes within the parameters of the guidance and grant determination that the Department for Work and Pensions have set out for the fund.

How many more people she expects to be in employment as a result of proposals in the Get Britain Working White Paper.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11th December to question number PQ 17573.

When the next Pension Credit applications and awards dataset will be published.

The next publication of Pension Credit application statistics is due around the end of February 2025 and will cover the data up to week commencing 10 February 2025.

What plans he has to ensure Urgent Treatment Centres remain open.

No such assessment has been made. Integrated care boards are responsible for the commissioning of local services, including urgent treatment centres and their operational hours.

What plans he has to safeguard primary care services.

Work is already underway to ensure the safeguarding of primary care services. Neighbourhood Health Centres will be trialled to bring together a range of services, ensuring healthcare is provided closer to home. This is part of our broader ambition to move towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered in local communities to spot problems earlier.The 10-Year Health Plan has been launched to reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.The Government is providing the biggest investment into general practice for years, an additional £889 million on top of the existing budget. We will make sure the future of general practice is sustainable by training thousands more general practitioners, guaranteeing a face-to-face appointment for all those who want one, and delivering a modern booking system.We are committed to expanding the role of community pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists as we shift care from hospital to the community.We plan to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists. NHS England is working to develop a long-term infrastructure strategy including anticipated primary care investment needed to meet demand over the next 10 years and beyond, as well as a detailed look at the quality of the estate.

Communities and Local Government, how the commitment to safeguard the Best and Most Versatile agricultural land will be applied to planning decisions called in by the Secretary of State .

The government places great importance upon our agricultural land and food production.The National Planning Policy Framework sets out how the best and most versatile agricultural land should be reflected in planning policies and decisions. We are maintaining the existing strong protection for the best and most versatile agricultural land. The Framework is clear that where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality.This will, where relevant, be a material consideration in planning decisions, including those made by the Secretary of State.

Communities and Local Government, how many hectares of the Best and Most Versatile agricultural land are (a) protected, (b) under consideration for development and (c) approved for consent in each (i) local authority area and (ii) constituency.

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 17576 11 December 2024.

What plans he has to support ICBs that are considering cuts to primary care services.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a delegated responsibility for planning and commissioning healthcare services to meet the reasonable needs of the people for whom they are responsible. ICBs should evaluate the needs of the populations for which they are responsible and plan service provision as required.NHS England will continue to develop national policy and guidance to support ICBs to discharge their primary care commissioning functions effectively, supporting primary care providers and Primary Care Networks to deliver high quality services for patients. The Government is providing the biggest investment into general practice (GP) for years, an additional £889 million on top of the existing budget.In the event of any GP closure, it is the responsibility of these local commissioners to ensure that patients are able to register with and attend another GP, so that their health needs continue to be met. When a practice does close, patients are informed of the closure and advised to register at another local practice of their choice within their area. Commissioners must put in place appropriate measures to ensure that the affected patients have access to GP services.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2024 to Question 16391 on Department for Work and Pensions: Fraud and Maladministration, what progress she has made on the (a) recruitment and (b) training of additional staff in fraud and error.

Funding for 3,000 new roles within the department’s Counter Fraud, Compliance and Debt (CFCD) division, allocated in the Government’s Spending Review, will take effect from April 2025. CFCD has also secured an uplift in staffing costs for Q4 of the financial year and will recruit an additional 300 FTE to build momentum heading into Q1. This is in addition to CFCD reaching its upper headcount limit of 9,923 Full Time Equivalent for 2024/25. Training resources and learning journeys for all new starters are robust and clearly defined. Most of our new starters will also align and be assured against Government Counter Fraud Profession (GCFP) cross-gov counter-fraud standards.

What the timeframe is for the 80 per cent employment rate target.

The trend of economic inactivity is a long-term challenge; the UK is the only country in the G7 with an inactivity rate higher than before the pandemic. We want to raise productivity and improve the quality of work to help more people get into and on in work. Achieving an 80% employment rate would mean over two million more people in work across the UK and would place the UK among the highest performing countries in the world. The Get Britain Working White Paper set out that the Labour Market Advisory Board will support our work on the exact definition and measurement of our ambitions on employment and labour force participation. The timeframe for this long-term ambition will be determined following this work.

What measure her Department will use to determine whether devolved authorities have been successful in delivering employment support.

Within our Get Britain Working reforms, we committed to offering new responsibilities and funding to mayors and local areas in England because local leaders know their communities best. This includes supporting areas in England to produce Get Britain Working Plans that join up work, health and skills provision, as well as delivering Connect to Work and sixteen Youth and Inactivity Trailblazers, which will all be fully evaluated. As part of the production of Get Britain Working plans the Department is working with local and combined authorities in England to capture meaningful evidence on local labour markets and progress made. For the first time, we have also recently published statistical information on the movement of people into work, which can be found as part of the analytical information accompanying the Get Britain Working white paper: Get Britain Working White Paper: Analytical Annex - GOV.UK. We will also publish further metrics in due course. Connect to Work funding will be included in the integrated settlement from 2025/26, which applies to Greater Manchester and West Midlands Combined Authorities. The integrated settlement will be monitored and governed using a single accountability framework and a single outcomes framework negotiated between authorities and the Government. Further guidance on Connect to Work can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/connect-to-work, https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/integrated-settlements-for-mayoral-combined-authorities.