Written questions by Naish.

If she will provide further information on long-term arrangements for (a) settlement, (b) a longer-term temporary route and (c) switching into other immigration routes for Ukrainians in the UK.

The Ukraine Schemes reflect a generous and meaningful commitment to support those displaced by the conflict. Since the full‑scale invasion began, the UK has provided sanctuary to over 300,000 Ukrainians and their family members.The Government has been clear from the outset that the Ukraine Schemes are temporary humanitarian routes and do not provide a direct pathway to settlement. This reflects the Ukrainian Government’s strong desire for their citizens to be able to return home when it is safe to do so, in order to contribute to Ukraine’s future recovery. Time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application.On 24 February, the Government confirmed in Parliament that the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme will be extended for a further 24 months. This provides longer-term temporary certainty for Ukrainians in the UK, meaning they may benefit from up to 3.5 years’ permission under UPE, in addition to any time already granted under the Ukraine Schemes. This extension reaffirms the UK’s ongoing commitment to supporting those displaced by the conflict.To support a smoother application process, applicants will also be able to apply for further permission within the final 90 days of their current leave, rather than the previous 28‑day period. This will provide greater flexibility and assurance, allowing applicants to secure their future in the UK with confidence and ease.Ukrainians in the UK under any of the Ukraine Schemes may apply to switch into other immigration routes for which they meet the eligibility and suitability requirements, including work, study, family and private life routes.The Government will update the relevant GOV.UK pages in due course to reflect the 24‑month extension of the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme. The Immigration Rules and caseworker guidance will be updated in line with the changes as they come into effect.The Government recognises the importance of providing long‑term certainty for Ukrainians living in the UK beyond the lifetime of UPE. Work is underway across Government on future arrangements, and a further statement setting out the long‑term position will be issued later this year.The Government continues to keep the Ukraine Schemes and the evolving situation in Ukraine under close and active review.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of excluding Ukraine schemes from counting towards settlement on Ukrainian nationals in the UK.

The Ukraine Schemes reflect a generous and meaningful commitment to support those displaced by the conflict. Since the full‑scale invasion began, the UK has provided sanctuary to over 300,000 Ukrainians and their family members.The Government has been clear from the outset that the Ukraine Schemes are temporary humanitarian routes and do not provide a direct pathway to settlement. This reflects the Ukrainian Government’s strong desire for their citizens to be able to return home when it is safe to do so, in order to contribute to Ukraine’s future recovery. Time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application.On 24 February, the Government confirmed in Parliament that the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme will be extended for a further 24 months. This provides longer-term temporary certainty for Ukrainians in the UK, meaning they may benefit from up to 3.5 years’ permission under UPE, in addition to any time already granted under the Ukraine Schemes. This extension reaffirms the UK’s ongoing commitment to supporting those displaced by the conflict.To support a smoother application process, applicants will also be able to apply for further permission within the final 90 days of their current leave, rather than the previous 28‑day period. This will provide greater flexibility and assurance, allowing applicants to secure their future in the UK with confidence and ease.Ukrainians in the UK under any of the Ukraine Schemes may apply to switch into other immigration routes for which they meet the eligibility and suitability requirements, including work, study, family and private life routes.The Government will update the relevant GOV.UK pages in due course to reflect the 24‑month extension of the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme. The Immigration Rules and caseworker guidance will be updated in line with the changes as they come into effect.The Government recognises the importance of providing long‑term certainty for Ukrainians living in the UK beyond the lifetime of UPE. Work is underway across Government on future arrangements, and a further statement setting out the long‑term position will be issued later this year.The Government continues to keep the Ukraine Schemes and the evolving situation in Ukraine under close and active review.

What steps her Department is taking to communicate with Ukraine Permission Extension holders on applying before their permission expires; and how many people have been contacted by (a) email, (b) SMS and (c) post.

The onus is on the applicant to ensure they know the conditions attached to their leave and that they know when to reapply for an extension of that leave. All that information is available on our website and their eVisa.

How many applications have been made to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme for children born in the UK to Ukrainian national parents; and what the approval rate has been.

Data on the number of Ukraine Permission Extension visa applications for children born in the UK does not form part of our data sets and is not published.Obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

How many applications to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme are awaiting a decision.

The data for Ukraine Permission Extension visa applications awaiting a decision can be found on the ‘Visa, Status and Immigration Data table on the following page of Gov.UK Migration transparency data - GOV.UK

Whether he is taking steps to engage disabled people in the process of the Timms Review of the Personal Independence Payment system.

The Timms Review is being co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts.I am chairing the Review alongside my fellow co-chairs Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE. We have appointed a steering group of a dozen people, responsible for overseeing co-production of the Review.To ensure lived experience is at the heart of its work, almost all of the steering group has lived experience of a disability or long-term health condition. The group benefits from diverse perspectives from a range of backgrounds, but it is not intended to be representative of the UK’s disabled community—no single group could represent all perspectives or experiences of disability. Instead, the steering group will shape a programme of participation that brings together the full range of views and voices. The steering group are currently shaping the programme of participation as a priority, and we will provide an update on this soon.

What steps she is taking to help ensure the Access to Work scheme supports people with multiple sclerosis.

The support that a customer will receive from Access to Work is dependent upon their needs and circumstances at the time they make an application. Case managers will use the current guidance to ensure Access to Work principles are considered when making a decision on support. All assessments are done on an individual basis with all conditions, including Multiple Sclerosis where applicable, considered as part of an individual’s application. We continue to engage disabled people’s organisations and individuals with lived experience, drawing on their insights alongside the National Audit Office’s recommendations as we take forward improvements to the scheme.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2024 to Question 15949 on Achalasia: Health Services, when the NHS England Specialised Commissioning Paediatric Medicine: Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Service Specification was last updated.

Pathways for managing patients with achalasia are set out in the NHS England Specialised Commissioning Paediatric Medicine: Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Service Specification. The current specification was published in 2013/14, and there are no plans to update this specification at this time. The specification sets out that patients with achalasia should be managed within Specialist Paediatric Gastroenterology Centres under the care of an expert multidisciplinary team.Patients with achalasia may also receive care from a specialist surgical team, within Specialised Surgery in Children services, to help manage their condition. The NHS England Specialised Surgery in Children service specification sets out standards for these services, and an updated specification is due for publication in 2026.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that there is adequate oversight of individuals arriving in the UK on private jet.

The security of the UK border remains our top priority, and this government is committed to strengthening border security. Border Force conducts robust security checks on those arriving into the UK, including 100% checks on all notified general aviation flights and spot checks at aerodromes to reinforce security. Border Force allocates resources based on assessed risk, applying intelligence and targeting techniques. We have significantly reduced the number of aerodromes authorised to handle international or Common Travel Area flights by 85%, and anyone who fails to submit the required information prior to flying faces civil penalties. Border Force has implemented a range of initiatives to address vulnerabilities. These include:• Substantially reducing the number of aerodromes permitted to handle flights to and from the UK.• Introducing a civil penalties regime for non-compliance with airfield designation requirements.• Person details checked on all notified GA flights• The General Aviation (Persons on Board, Flight Information and Civil Penalties Regulations), which came into force on 6 April 2024, require that specified information about General Aviation flights and persons onboard must be submitted online and in advance of departure to Home Office Systems. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in civil penalty.• Working closely with the National Crime Agency and the police to counter threats such as smuggling, immigration crime and terrorism at UK airfields has resulted in seizures of Class A Drugs at small airfields and identification of undocumented arrivals, leading to multiple criminal convictions and working with partners to identify non-compliant GA flights.• Regular Home Office engagement with the GA community representatives and cross-government partners.

Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed cuts to funding for particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics research on levels of such research being carried out.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has committed to £58.5 billion investment in R&D over the next 4 years. Of this, UKRI will deliver £38.6 billion towards research and innovation with £14.5 billion allocated towards curiosity-driven research, in recognition of its fundamental importance for our future. This is an increase in funding.The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) budget has not been cut and it increases across the spending review period. STFC within UKRI is currently working with the sector to model different spending scenarios for its portfolio in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics (PPAN). No final spending decisions relating to STFC’s PPAN portfolio have been made. The impacts of different modelled scenarios will be considered alongside feedback from the sector when taking final decisions.More generally, DSIT has asked UKRI to ensure that its allocation decisions are informed by meaningful consultation with the scientific research community and a robust assessment of potential consequences for the UK’s scientific capability and international standing.

What steps his Department is taking to improve (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of achalasia.

The Government is committed to improving the diagnosis and treatment of achalasia. Work is underway to support an increase in the use of the Advice and Refer/Single Point of Access model, which can in turn improve waiting times for all gastro patients, including those with achalasia or suspected achalasia.More broadly, the Neighbourhood Health Framework has now been published, and will enable a more joined-up approach that delivers more preventative, local, personalised, and digitally enabled care for everyone, including for people living with achalasia. Central to the plans are neighbourhood health centres, which will bring more care closer to where people live. This is supported by the NHS App, which will become a health companion that makes it easier for patients to access the National Health Service. It will give patients a seamless experience across their health journey.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure taxi drivers are protected from physical and verbal abuse whilst at work (a) in Nottinghamshire and (b) nationally.

Physical and verbal abuse against transport workers is unacceptable and something the Department takes very seriously. The Department’s best practice guidance to taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England is clear that authorities are required to consider crime and disorder reduction while exercising their duties; this includes ways in which the taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regime can be used to protect drivers. Guidance is also included for the trade on ways they can increase safety and what to do when incidents occur. The Department’s statutory guidance recommends that licensing authorities should consult on the mandating of CCTV in vehicles. The Department’s view is that CCTV in vehicles can enhance both drivers’ and passengers’ safety and consideration of the merits of CCTV by licensing authorities must include both aspects. The Best Practice Guidance highlights that health and safety law creates duties on businesses where requirements apply to workers in the same way as they do for employees. Guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (Health and safety for gig economy, agency and temporary workers - HSE) outlines the different type of workers and what is expected of businesses who use their services. This means business subject to duties should establish effective management arrangements and carry out an assessment of the risks to workers while they are at work, and to other people who may be affected by their work activities. Any assessment should identify the significant risks affecting workers and others, and, importantly, identify measures to reduce those risks.

Whether the East Midlands Railway will come into public ownership when its contract expires on 18th October 2026.

The Expiry Date of East Midlands Railway’s National Rail Contract (NRC) with the Department is October 2030, with a ‘Core Term Expiry Date’ of October 2026. Under the terms of NRCs, the Secretary of State can give the operator at least three Railway Periods’ notice (usually 12 weeks) to end the contract on a date stipulated by the Secretary of State, provided that the date is no earlier than the Core Term Expiry Date and coincides with the end of a Railway Period. The Secretary of State has previously announced that Govia Thameslink Railway services will transfer into public ownership on 31 May 2026, and has outlined the intention for Chiltern Railways’ and Great Western Railways’ services to then follow. Expiry notices will be issued to confirm the dates of transfer once a final decision has been taken regarding each operator. Ministers will take decisions on further transfers in due course. Services currently delivered by private sector operators under contract with the Department will transfer to a public-sector operator as current contracts expire, after they reach their contractual break point or if the contractual right to terminate is met - avoiding the need to pay compensation to the current operators for early termination.

Whether her Department plans to extend Transport UK's contract for East Midlands Railway beyond 18 October 2026.

The Expiry Date of East Midlands Railway’s National Rail Contract (NRC) with the Department is October 2030, with a ‘Core Term Expiry Date’ of October 2026. Under the terms of NRCs, the Secretary of State can give the operator at least three Railway Periods’ notice (usually 12 weeks) to end the contract on a date stipulated by the Secretary of State, provided that the date is no earlier than the Core Term Expiry Date and coincides with the end of a Railway Period.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the publication of the numbers of all animals involved in any form of animal research, including those bred but not used.

The Home Office is currently reviewing the potential merits of recording and reporting the number of animals that were bred for, but not used, in scientific procedures.The Home Office publishes Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-living-animals

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of allowing license applications, such as planning applications, to be published in online newspapers.

The Government committed to a review of statutory notices as part of the response to recommendations made by the Licensing policy taskforce in July 2025, including in relation to alcohol licence notices. The review is being taken forward as part of the Local Media Strategy to support local journalism.We recognise that local press and statutory notices, including those relating to planning applications, continue to play a central role in keeping communities informed about decisions that affect local services and amenities. The industry’s Public Notice Portal is a welcome innovation, taking advantage of print publishers’ growing digital audiences and providing a centralised resource for all types of public notice. We welcome the Portal's expansion to include archive and consultation functions, helping public bodies and commercial entities engage with the public more effectively. DCMS is monitoring the progress of the Portal and the effect that it has on the audience reach of statutory notices and overall public engagement.This type of industry innovation and collaboration is integral to securing the sector’s future and will be taken into account in the statutory notices review. The review will more broadly consider the potential merits of making changes to existing requirements to place statutory notices, including planning applications, in print local newspapers, as well as any potential role for online newspapers. More detail will be announced in due course, including timescales of the review and the wider Local Media Strategy.

What steps his Department is taking to help (a) homeless and (b) disabled young people to seek employment.

Homelessness can act as a significant barrier to gaining and sustaining employment. DWP helps people experiencing homelessness to move towards work through tailored and place-based work coach support – a commitment outlined in the new cross-government National Plan to End Homelessness. This includes specialist employment support for people with complex needs through the new Connect to Work programme, and a new Jobs and Careers Service that will enable work coaches to focus more on individuals with the greatest barriers to work. The plan also commits to addressing the ‘work disincentive’ that can affect young people in supported accommodation, ensuring work pays and enabling residents to enter or progress in employment without facing financial barriers. The Department further supports homeless young people to move towards employment through Youth Hubs, which provide community‑based, wrap‑around employment support for 16–24‑year‑olds. As part of the core Youth Hub service blueprint, Hubs work with local partners to provide access to housing and homelessness advice alongside employment, skills and health support, recognising that housing insecurity is a significant barrier to work. The Government is also taking action to help young disabled people move towards work. Disabled young people are a diverse group, so it is key that the individual gets access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, for them. The Youth Guarantee and Pathways to Work will guarantee specialist support for disabled young people. At the Budget, we have announced an £820 million funding package for the Youth Guarantee to support young people to earn or learn. Over the next three years nearly 900,000 16–24-year-olds will be offered a dedicated session with a Work Coach, followed by four weeks of additional intensive support. We will also expand our network of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain. This investment will create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. In addition, it will provide guaranteed jobs to around 55,000 young people aged 18-21 through the Jobs Guarantee. Alongside the Youth Guarantee, the Pathways to Work Green Paper sets out our plans for the Pathways to Work offer. Backed by £1 billion a year of new funding by the end of the decade, building towards a guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for all disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits. We anticipate that the Pathways to Work offer once fully rolled out will include a support conversation to identify next steps, one-to-one caseworker support, periodic engagement and an offer of specialist long-term work health and skills support. Youth Guarantee and Pathways to Work will build on the range of support already available to disabled people, regardless of their benefit status or Work Group. For example, Connect to Work a supported employment programme that joins up work skills and health support, and Employment Advisers in NHS Talking Therapies, which combine the expertise of therapists and employment advisers to give those with mental health conditions the support they need to find work tailored to them. Additionally, disabled people might be able to access WorkWell, which is our new way to deliver integrated work and health support through local partnerships. Finally, we are considering how we might go even further. The Right Honourable Alan Milburn is leading on an investigation of the rise in youth inactivity with a particular focus on the impact of mental health conditions and disability and expected to report in Summer 2026.

What assessment his Department made of the potential impact of withdrawing the universal credit health top-up for people under 22 on those unable to work.

The Pathways to Work consultation closed on 30 June 2025 and a summary of the consultation responses was published on 30 October. We will set out our plans in due course.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's report entitled Deprivation in Rural Areas, published in October 2025, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the report's finding that 14 of the 20 most-deprived rural Lower Layer Super Output Areas are in former mining areas.

Our Pride in Place strategy sets out how we will deliver up to £5.8 billion over ten years to 284 neighbourhoods (Middle Super Output Areas) experiencing the highest levels of deprivation across the country. Many coalfield communities – including very deprived Lower Super Output Areas - are part of this programme: Bentilee and Ubberley, Peterlee East, Grassmoor & Holmewood, Platt Bridge & Spring View, amongst many others.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with the the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on the proposed £50 million capital investment in the Coalfields Regeneration Trust to support SME industrial development.

I refer the Hon.Member to Question UIN ⁠114606 answered on 9 March.