Written questions by Sollom.

Whether pensions income that is not eligible for taxation in the UK due to the UK and Hong Kong Tax Treaty will count towards the proposed £12,570 personal income threshold for British National (Overseas) visa holders wanting to acquire permanent residence.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ’A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK. BN(O) visa holders will attract a five-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after five years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.The consultation seeks views from Hong Kongers on the proposals, including whether there should be exemptions from the mandatory economic contribution.Details of mandatory requirements, including those relating to personal income threshold, will be finalised following the close of that consultation. In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

Whether pensions income that is not eligible for taxation in the UK due to the UK and Hong Kong Tax Treaty will count towards the proposed £12,570 personal income threshold for British National (Overseas) visa holders wanting to acquire permanent residence.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ’A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK. BN(O) visa holders will attract a five-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after five years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.The consultation seeks views from Hong Kongers on the proposals, including whether there should be exemptions from the mandatory economic contribution.Details of mandatory requirements, including those relating to personal income threshold, will be finalised following the close of that consultation. In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

Whether her Department consulted with British National (Overseas) visa holders on the drafting of the White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025.

The Immigration White Paper set out the principle that settlement should be earned through contribution to the UK economy and society. The publication, ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, built on this principle and laid out proposals for the earned settlement model. It stated that we will raise the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years and everyone who wishes to settle in this country will need to meet mandatory requirements, including a clean criminal record and strong English language skills.The consultation on the earned settlement model was launched on 20 November 2025 and will close on 12 February 2026.The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK. BN(O) visa holders will attract a five-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after five years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.The consultation seeks views from Hong Kongers on the proposals, including whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement.Details of the earned settlement scheme will be finalised following the close of that consultation. In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2025 to Question 94005 on Immigration: Hong Kong, what plans her Department has to conduct face-to-face meetings with those people potentially affected and relevant campaign groups during the development of the impact assessment for the proposed earned settlement model.

The Immigration White Paper set out the principle that settlement should be earned through contribution to the UK economy and society. The publication, ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, built on this principle and laid out proposals for the earned settlement model. It stated that we will raise the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years and everyone who wishes to settle in this country will need to meet mandatory requirements, including a clean criminal record and strong English language skills.The consultation on the earned settlement model was launched on 20 November 2025 and will close on 12 February 2026.The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK. BN(O) visa holders will attract a five-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after five years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.The consultation seeks views from Hong Kongers on the proposals, including whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement.Details of the earned settlement scheme will be finalised following the close of that consultation. In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

What assessment her Department has made of the risks to the safety of Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders travelling through Hong Kong or mainland China of the transition from physical Biometric Residence Permits to the digital eVisa system.

An eVisa is a digital record of a person's identity and their immigration permission in the UK, and any conditions which apply. As with biometric residence permits (BRPs), it is issued to enable a person to prove their status when travelling to the UK, including via third countries, and when living in the UK. The transition from physical BRPs to eVisas does not create a risk for those travelling through mainland China or Hong Kong. Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders do not need to present their eVisa for this travel, since they do not require a UK immigration status for this purpose.

Whether interest generated on savings will count towards the proposed £12,570 personal income threshold for acquiring permanent residence.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ’A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. Details of mandatory requirements, including those relating to the personal income threshold, will be finalised following that consultation. The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessment, which we have committed to publish in due course.

Pursuant to Written Parliamentary Question 85637, when his Department expects to publish the research funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research that will look at how to cost-effectively improve care coordination to align to the needs of patients.

Steps are being taken to improve the coordination of care for all rare diseases as a priority under the UK Rare Diseases Framework. Through the England Rare Diseases Action Plans, which set out actions to deliver against this priority, we commissioned research funded by NIHR to build on the CoOrdinated Care Of Rare Diseases (CONCORD) study with RAND Europe and University of Cambridge. The NIHR-funded CONCORD study sought to investigate how services for people with rare diseases are coordinated in the United Kingdom, and how people living with rare diseases, and healthcare professionals who treat rare diseases, would like them to be coordinated. The new study will help us understand how to best make improvements to care co-ordination in a way which aligns to the needs of patients with rare conditions and which is as cost-effective as possible for the NHS. The study is due to end in May 2026. Findings will be submitted to scientific journals after this date. Further information is available on the CONCORD study at the following link:https://www.ucl.ac.uk/population-health-sciences/epidemiology-health-care/research/behavioural-science-and-health/research/health-care-organisation-and-management-group/concord-coordinated-care-rare-diseases

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that healthcare professionals are provided with timely guidance on prescribing alternatives when products they routinely prescribe are subject to safety recalls.

The Defective Medicines Report Centre (DMRC) is part of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The role of the DMRC is to minimise the hazard to patients arising from the distribution of defective medicines by providing an emergency assessment and communication system between manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, pharmacies, regulatory authorities, and users. It achieves this aim by:receiving and assessing reports of suspected defective medicinal products for human use;advising and monitoring necessary actions by the responsible Licence Holder; andcommunicating the details of this action to relevant parties as necessary.Where a medicinal product recall is required, the decision is taken in consultation with the relevant Licence Holder. It is the Licence Holder’s responsibility to ensure that a recall is carried out effectively throughout the distribution chain to the appropriate level. If necessary, the DMRC will issue a Recall Notification to support action taken by the Licence Holder. Where possible, the DMRC will actively engage with the Department to inform us of upcoming recalls, especially where there may be limited marketed products available or critical medicines involved. The Department’s Medicines Supply Team have a range of well-established processes and tools to mitigate risks to patients, and in some circumstances, this can include the prescribing of an alternative medicine.The Department follows a clear operating framework for managing medicines shortages and, working with National Health Service specialist clinicians, develops appropriate management plans, including comprehensive guidance for prescribers, which are ratified by the Medicines Shortage Response Group to ensure that the most appropriate communication route is used. We work collaboratively with the MHRA throughout the recall process to ensure that when prescribing an alternative medicine should be considered, that this can be communicated in the Recall Notification, or as close to the issue of the Recall Notification that could result in a supply issue.

Whether her Department plans to review its policy on the Disabled Students' Allowance.

The department keeps all support funded through the Disabled Students’ Allowance under regular review to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of disabled students. Any future changes will be communicated publicly.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of anaesthetists across the UK.

We set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England published in July 2025 that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need.On 8 December, the Government put an offer in writing to the British Medical Association (BMA) Resident Doctors Committee, which was rejected. The offer would have increased the number of training posts over the next three years from the 1,000 announced in the 10-Year Health Plan to 4,000, bringing forward 1,000 of these training posts to start in 2026. The BMA have rejected the Government's offer, so that is not going ahead. The Government will consider its next steps.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the size of the anaesthetist workforce in (a) the East of England and (b) St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire constituency.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the adequacy of the size of the anaesthetist workforce in the East of England and/or the St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire constituency. Appropriate National Health Service staffing levels are determined locally.

When part 2 of the Independent Review of Fraud Offences will be published.

The Government has recently received the second and final report from Jonathan Fisher KC, Chair of the Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences.We are now carefully considering the Review’s findings and recommendations and will respond in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to help reduce identity theft by ghost brokers selling fake car insurance policies.

The Home Office works closely with law enforcement and industry partners to reduce fraud, including in the insurance sector. In October 2024, the Home Office also launched the Insurance Fraud Charter with major insurers to strengthen action against illegal intermediaries.Operationally, the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department investigates referrals from insurers and runs targeted operations, alongside public awareness campaigns delivered with the Insurance Fraud Bureau and the Association of British Insurers. The Insurance Fraud Breau also launched its, Avoid Ghost Brokers, campaign in May 2025 to warn the public about fake car insurance deals.The Motor Insurance Taskforce, has also set out measures to tackle fraud and ghost broking in their report published in December 2025. The report is available online at: Motor Insurance Taskforce: Final Report and Actions.

How many meetings her Department has held with commercial lenders to discuss the finances of higher education institutions in each year since 2020.

The department meets regularly with a variety of stakeholders to hear their views on the English higher education sector. This includes commercial lenders, given that the sector’s external borrowing totalled £13.3 billion in 2023/24.

Whether her Department keeps records of meetings with commercial lenders on the finances of higher education institutions.

The department meets regularly with a variety of stakeholders to hear their views on the English higher education sector. This includes commercial lenders, given that the sector’s external borrowing totalled £13.3 billion in 2023/24.

For what reason her Department holds meetings with commercial lenders to discuss the finances of higher education institutions.

The department meets regularly with a variety of stakeholders to hear their views on the English higher education sector. This includes commercial lenders, given that the sector’s external borrowing totalled £13.3 billion in 2023/24.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2025 to Question 79779 on the Timms Review, when he will provide more details on the membership of the steering group overseeing the review and planned next steps in the process.

On 18 December, the Timms Review’s co-chairs provided an update on the work of the Review, including recruitment of the steering group and next steps. You can find this update on GOV.UK via the following link: The Timms Review: Co-Chair Update, December 2025 - GOV.UK. We will continue to publish updates on GOV.UK as the Review progresses.

What steps she is taking to (a) encourage people into the educational psychologist profession and (b) retain educational psychologists in the profession.

Educational psychologists play a critical role in the support available to children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. That is why the department is already investing more than £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists over two cohorts, starting their studies in 2024 and 2025. This is in addition to the £10 million currently being invested in the training of more than 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023.As these trainees complete their studies, they will join the workforce to support local authority educational psychology services, including contributing to statutory assessments. Trainees who have had their training funded by the department are required to remain in local authority employment for a minimum period. For trainees beginning their course in September 2024, this period is three years.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of delaying by one year the transfer of the responsibility to make support scheme payments from the Infected Blood Support Schemes (IBSS) to the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) on infected people who have not yet received any support payments due to ineligibility for the England IBSS, but who are eligible under new IBCA regulations.

The eligibility criteria for infected people for the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, established by the Government, are different from the eligibility criteria for the Infected Blood Support Schemes (IBSS). Only those who are receiving support scheme payments from the IBSS will be eligible to continue receiving these payments as part of their wider compensation paid by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA), if they choose to do so.The delay of the transfer will therefore not impact the compensation available to infected people who were never registered with IBSS. IBCA opened its service to the first claims from infected people who were not registered with IBSS in November.

How many people aged i) 18, ii) 19, iii) 20 and iv) 21 have been claiming Universal Credit for 18 months or longer.

The Department regularly publishes the number of people on Universal Credit by age and claim duration on Stat-Xplore. The provisional statistics for the number of people aged 18 to 21 who have been claiming UC for up to 18 months and for 18 months or more in October 2025 is shown in table 1. Table 1: Number of People aged 18 to 21 on Universal Credit for up to 18 months and for 18 months or more, October 2025 AgeDuration: 0 months up to 18 monthsDuration: 18 months or moreTotal1859,4043,14962,5541987,15115,804102,9512067,44843,783111,2372156,06260,457116,521Total270,065123,196393,262 Source: DWP Universal Credit Full Service (UCFS) Extract Notes:Cells in this table have had statistical disclosure control applied to avoid the release of confidential data. Due to adjustments totals may not be the sum of the individual cells.Figures are a count of the number of people on Universal Credit on the second Thursday of each month, by age on that date, and are provisional.The duration of an individual's current claim is calculated using the difference between the date the claimant signed their claimant commitment and the count date, and for this table is given in the following bands: Up to 18 months (0 to 547 days) and 18 months and above (548 days or more).Users are advised that these statistics have ongoing work to improve the data quality and so are subject to revision.