Written questions by Naish.

With reference to the independent report entitled National review of higher education student suicide deaths, published on 21 May 2025, whether she plans to introduce a duty of candour for the higher education sector.

This government is committed to working with higher education providers, experts, and students to turn the findings of the national review of higher education (HE) student suicides into real, lasting improvements. That means better support for students, a commitment to openness with families, and a sector-wide focus on preventing these heartbreaking tragedies.The department continues to work with the HE mental health implementation taskforce to develop guidance and drive adoption across the sector. The taskforce will examine recommendations from the review, including the call for a duty of candour, and work to understand the most effective way to bring about change to ensure greater transparency with bereaved families following a suspected suicide.

What recent guidance his Department has issued on the (a) nutritional value of and (b) recommended intake of yoghurt for (i) children and (ii) young people.

Government dietary advice is depicted in the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide, and information is available through NHS.UK website.Government advice encourages the consumption of milk and dairy foods, such as cheese and yoghurt, or dairy alternatives, as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Government advice highlights that milk and dairy foods, including yoghurt, are good sources of protein, calcium, and some vitamins, but are also a source of saturated fat. It also notes that for older children and adults, eating too much fat can contribute to excess energy intakes, leading to becoming overweight. It also notes that there is evidence that high intakes of saturated fat are associated with raised blood cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk. Advice is therefore to choose lower-fat varieties of milk and dairy products, including yoghurt, where possible, or to eat smaller amounts of fuller-fat varieties in order to reduce the amount of saturated fat in the diet. It is also recommended to choose yoghurts or fromage frais that have no added sugars or are low in added sugar. Government recommendations do not provide a frequency of consumption for milk and dairy products.United Kingdom dietary recommendations are based on independent advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). In its 2023 report, Feeding young children aged one to five years, the SACN recommended that current UK dietary recommendations, including those for dairy products, such as yoghurt, as depicted in the Eatwell Guide, should apply from around the age of two years old, with some exceptions, including that dairy products, such as yoghurts and fromage frais, given to children aged one to five years old should ideally be unsweetened.Up to the age of two years old, the current UK recommendation is that children can be given pasteurised full-fat cheeses and dairy products, including yoghurt, from the age of six months. After the age of two years old, it is recommended to introduce lower-fat dairy products.No assessment has been made of the impact of including specific daily recommendations on yogurt intake in dietary guidelines.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of procuring used vehicles for the Motability Scheme.

Whilst the Department for Work and Pensions works closely with Motability, the Motability Scheme is overseen by Motability Foundation (the charity) and delivered by Motability Operations. Motability is independent of Government and is wholly responsible for the terms and administration of the Scheme.

What discussions his department has had with HM Treasury on funding for the delivery of the recommendations in the Hughes Report, published on 7 February 2024.

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) parents and (b) carers reading to young children on the mental wellbeing of (i) children, (ii) parents and (iii) carers.

No such assessment has been made. We know that, according to research, reading helps to reduce stress levels and could be beneficial to mental health and well-being.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential merits of extending British National (Overseas) nationality status to BN(O) visa holders' dependents residing in the United Kingdom.

Those with BN(O) status and their eligible family members can come to the UK to live, study and work in virtually any capacity, on a pathway to citizenship. The UK committed in the Joint Declaration that no person would acquire British Dependent Territories citizen (BDTC) status (the precursor to BN(O) status) on or after 1 July 1997. Therefore, there are no plans to change this mechanism.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of Universal Credit transitional protection rules on claimants migrating from legacy benefits.

No such assessment has been made, however we publish Move to Universal statistics quarterly, which includes a breakdown of households paid Transitional Protection.. Stat-Xplore - Home - All eligible customers who claim Universal Credit as part of managed migration will be considered for a Transitional Element, to ensure that they do not have a lower entitlement compared to their legacy benefits at the point they move to Universal Credit. The Transitional Element is not intended to permanently replicate legacy benefit awards. Over time, it will be eroded by increases in other elements, except the childcare costs element and the housing element awarded to those previously living in specified or temporary accommodation, to gradually align the award with those of new customers who are in the same circumstances.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of ensuring that the annual uprating of benefits does not result in a net loss of income for vulnerable claimants who are subject to transitional protection following migration to Universal Credit.

There has been no assessment on the rules relating to Universal Credit’s Transitional Protection. Transitional Protection protects benefit entitlement levels at the point of moving to Universal Credit. It is a temporary measure to maintain benefit entitlement levels so that customers will have time to adjust to the new benefit system. Transitional Protection is not intended to provide indefinite financial protection. The Transitional Element will erode with increases in other UC elements, except childcare costs, so to gradually align the customers UC award with those of new UC customers who were not managed migrated, in the same circumstances. This includes increases due to the annual uprating of benefits, and DWP is not seeking to change this or weaken this key principle of Transitional Protection.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending British National (Overseas) nationality status to BN(O) visa holders' dependents residing in the United Kingdom.

Registration for British National (Overseas) status closed on 1 July 1997 and no new applications can now be made. BN(O) visa holders’ dependants who are on the BN(O) route in the UK may apply for British citizenship after 5 years’ qualifying residence, and being free from immigration time restrictions for a further year.

Whether her Department plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of Universal Credit transitional protection rules on claimants who were previously in receipt of the severe disability premium.

The purpose of the Transitional Severe Disability Premium Element (TSDPE) is to protect certain customers entitled to a severe disability premium who moved to Universal Credit from legacy benefits following a change in their circumstances. The TSDPE is subject to erosion and termination, in line with managed migration rules. From the second assessment period onwards, the amount of the TSDPE will be reduced by the addition or increase of any Universal Credit element, other than the childcare costs element or the housing element awarded to those who have previously been entitled to Housing Benefit whilst living in specified or temporary accommodation. Customers who are moved to Universal Credit by the Department for Work and Pensions will receive an amount of transitional protection if their circumstances remain the same and their Universal Credit entitlement is less than the amount they received on their legacy benefit. The difference will be included as an award of transitional element as part of the overall Universal Credit award for the first assessment period. This transitional element will also be subject to erosion and termination as outlined above. There are no current plans to evaluate the impact of Universal Credit transitional protection rules.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of enabling dental assistants to perform dental procedures under supervision.

We support making the best use of the range of skills held by dental teams so that they work to their full scope of practice. This enables clinicians to deliver more complex care and reduce delays for patients.The General Dental Council’s (GDC) Scope of Practice guidance sets out the areas in which dental professionals have the knowledge, skills, and experience to practise safely and effectively in the best interests of patients. NHS England’s guidance of January 2023 further sets out that dental therapists and dental hygienists can open and close National Health Service courses of treatment and provide direct access to NHS care within the GDC’s guidance.We are holding a roundtable with dental care professionals on 10 July 2025 where we will listen to feedback about the implementation of recent reforms to increase the scope of practice for dental therapists and hygienists, and the potential for making better use of their skills in future.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to reinstate the UK's membership of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service.

The Government is considering options for UK access to a satellite-based augmentation system, following our withdrawal from the EU's European Geostationary Navigation Overlay (EGNOS) system. This work is ongoing and no decision has yet been made.

What steps his Department is taking to support GPs in Nottinghamshire to spend more time with patients.

The Government is determined to ensure that general practitioners (GPs) are able to spend more time doing what they do best, spending time with their patients.That’s why, in October 2024, we invested £82 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support the recruitment of 1,700 newly qualified GPs across England, helping to increase appointment availability and improve care for thousands of patients. We delivered the biggest boost to GP funding in years, an £889 million uplift, with GPs now receiving a growing share of National Health Service resources. We have also announced that over £100 million of funding will be used to unlock new capacity in over 1,000 GP surgeries, which will enable more appointments. We have launched a Red Tape Challenge, and scrapped unnecessary targets in our new GP Contract, to cut down on bureaucracy and free up time to spend with patients.

What steps he is taking to reduce hospital backlogs in Nottinghamshire.

Tackling waiting lists is a key priority for the Government, including in Nottinghamshire. We have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an additional two million appointments, tests, and operations, having delivered 3.6 million more since July. As announced in the Spending Review, annual National Health Service day-to-day spending will increase by £29 billion in real terms from 2023/24, taking spending to £226 billion by 2028/29.Waiting lists are expected to reduce significantly over the Spending Review period, as the Government works towards delivery of the Plan for Change commitment that 92% of patients will start consultant-led treatment within 18 weeks of referral by the end of Parliament.This is supported by record capital investment for health which will help to repair NHS estates, enable productivity improvements, and deliver additional capacity, as well as the Government’s Elective Reform Plan, published in January. The plan includes wide ranging reforms to improve patients’ access to and experience of care, from reducing unnecessary appointments to faster and more local diagnostics.Community diagnostic centres (CDC) are providing a broad range of elective diagnostics away from acute facilities, reducing pressure on hospitals and giving patients quicker and more convenient access to tests. Both the Nottingham City CDC and the Mansfield CDC are already delivering key diagnostic tests ahead of opening new facilities in 2026.It is encouraging to see that local systems, including the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, are taking action to make efficiencies and improve productivity, including through their digital workstream and improvements to the estate. We look forward to following progress and seeing real benefits for patients.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce A&E waiting times in Nottinghamshire.

The Government recognises that urgent and emergency care performance has fallen short in recent years and is committed to restoring accident and emergency waiting times to the NHS Constitutional standard across England, including in Nottinghamshire.Our new Urgent and Emergency care plan, published on 6 June, sets out a fundamental shift in the approach to urgent and emergency care. It will drive collaboration across the system to deliver improvements for patients this year, backed by nearly £450 million of capital investment.The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will be published later this summer, setting out major National Health Service reforms moving healthcare from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.

What steps he is taking to reduce the time taken to make cancer diagnoses in Nottinghamshire.

We will reduce cancer waiting times so that patients are diagnosed and treated faster, including patients in Nottinghamshire.We have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, and we have now delivered over three million more appointments as the first step to ensuring earlier and faster diagnosis.The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients across the country, including in Nottinghamshire, as well as speeding up diagnosis and access to treatment. It will ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology. These actions will help bring this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the Arab Plan for Early Recovery, Reconstruction and Development.

The Foreign Secretary welcomed the Arab initiative of a Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza, alongside Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Italy on 8 March. To prepare for implementation, the UK has been working with partners to build international support for the Arab plan. In addition, we are exploring innovative finance mechanisms to scale up financing. With our Egyptian partners, we will be co-chairing the Humanitarian and Reconstruction working group at the postponed Two State Solution conference. We will use this opportunity to further mobilise international support for the plan and cohere international donor support and planning.

With reference to para. 266 of the White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, what her Department's timetable is for the consultation on changes to the (a) points-based system and (b) qualifying period for visas.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at that time.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential impact of the proposed Chinese embassy at Royal Mint Court on (a) policing and (b) public order.

As has been the case under successive administrations, government does not normally disclose details of internal discussions.An independent Inspector held a public inquiry into the proposals, at which interested parties were able to put forward evidence and representations.All material planning considerations will be taken into account in reaching a decision on this case.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an estimate with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential impact of granting the application for a Chinese Embassy at Royal Mint Court on costs for policing protests.

An independent Inspector held a public inquiry into the proposals in question, at which interested parties were able to put forward evidence and representations. All material planning considerations will be taken into account in reaching a decision on this case.