Written questions by Shannon.

What steps he is taking to increase awareness of early screening for cardiovascular disease among people under 40.

This Government is focused on increasing awareness of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in people aged under 40 years old by targeting key risk factors for disease through prevention and behavioural change. The National Health Service website includes a Better Health section which offers advice, tools and apps to support small, achievable behavioural changes such as increasing physical activity through the Couch to 5k app and guidance on how to quit smoking. Behavioural support services such as smoking cessation and weight management are also available locally for those who need them.There is no national CVD screening programme in England for people aged under 40 years old. Cardiovascular risk increases significantly with age, which is why the NHS Health Check is offered to eligible adults aged between 40 and 74 years old. The NHS Health Check is a core component of England’s CVD prevention programme and aims to detect people at risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease and refer them to further support through behavioural interventions, clinical assessment and treatment where appropriate.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to discuss preparations for free and fair elections in Nigeria in 2027 with President Tinubu during his forthcoming State Visit.

The State Visit will provide an important opportunity to strengthen the UK-Nigeria Strategic Partnership across growth, security, migration, and foreign policy. As the largest democracy in Africa, Nigeria has an important role to play in upholding democratic norms, including ensuring a free, fair and credible Presidential election in 2027. The UK is supporting key legislative and institutional reform processes in the Nigerian National Assembly, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Judiciary and other key institutions to strengthen Nigeria's democracy. On the issue of violence against Christian communities, I refer the Hon Member to the written ministerial statement published on 27 November 2025 (HCWS1105).

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will discuss violence and persecution against Christian communities in Nigeria in the last 12 months with President Tinubu during his forthcoming State Visit.

The State Visit will provide an important opportunity to strengthen the UK-Nigeria Strategic Partnership across growth, security, migration, and foreign policy. As the largest democracy in Africa, Nigeria has an important role to play in upholding democratic norms, including ensuring a free, fair and credible Presidential election in 2027. The UK is supporting key legislative and institutional reform processes in the Nigerian National Assembly, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Judiciary and other key institutions to strengthen Nigeria's democracy. On the issue of violence against Christian communities, I refer the Hon Member to the written ministerial statement published on 27 November 2025 (HCWS1105).

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had made representations to the Government of China concerning attacks against the human rights defender Chen Yunfei; and whether she is taking steps to press for accountability for those responsible.

The UK Government is aware of reports concerning the recent assault of Chen Yunfei in China. We continue to follow developments closely and regularly raise human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities. The UK remains committed to promoting human rights and the rule of law globally.

For what the reason has there been a decrease in the grant rate for Ukrainian asylum applications from 74.2% in September 2023 to 4.5% in December 2025.

All asylum and human rights claims, including those from Ukrainian nationals, are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Internal relocation is considered under Paragraph 339O of the Immigration Rules. Decision makers must consider whether the claimant would face a well-founded fear of persecution in the place of relocation, and, if not, whether it is reasonable to expect them to travel to, and stay, there.Our guidance for considering asylum claims, which includes a section on internal relocation, is available on GOV.UK at: Assessing credibility and refugee status: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Each individual assessment is made against the background of relevant case law and the latest available country of origin information. Our assessment of the situation in Ukraine is set out in the relevant Country Policy and Information Notes (CPINs) which are available on GOV.UK at. Ukraine: country policy and information notes - GOV.UK The CPINs for Ukraine are based on evidence taken from a wide range of reliable sources, including reputable media outlets; local, national and international organisations, including human rights organisations; and information from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The evidence base for assessing safety of return is available in the footnotes and bibliography of the CPINs. Asylum grant rates can vary for a number of reasons, including the protection needs of those who claim asylum in the UK. They can also be affected by operational resourcing and policy decisions, such as changes to the types of cases prioritised for decisions.

What evidential basis does her Department use when assessing the safety of return to (a) Kyiv City, (b) Lvivska Oblast and (c) other regions of western Ukraine.

All asylum and human rights claims, including those from Ukrainian nationals, are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Internal relocation is considered under Paragraph 339O of the Immigration Rules. Decision makers must consider whether the claimant would face a well-founded fear of persecution in the place of relocation, and, if not, whether it is reasonable to expect them to travel to, and stay, there.Our guidance for considering asylum claims, which includes a section on internal relocation, is available on GOV.UK at: Assessing credibility and refugee status: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Each individual assessment is made against the background of relevant case law and the latest available country of origin information. Our assessment of the situation in Ukraine is set out in the relevant Country Policy and Information Notes (CPINs) which are available on GOV.UK at. Ukraine: country policy and information notes - GOV.UK The CPINs for Ukraine are based on evidence taken from a wide range of reliable sources, including reputable media outlets; local, national and international organisations, including human rights organisations; and information from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The evidence base for assessing safety of return is available in the footnotes and bibliography of the CPINs. Asylum grant rates can vary for a number of reasons, including the protection needs of those who claim asylum in the UK. They can also be affected by operational resourcing and policy decisions, such as changes to the types of cases prioritised for decisions.

What her policy is for internal relocation within Ukraine when determining asylum claims.

All asylum and human rights claims, including those from Ukrainian nationals, are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Internal relocation is considered under Paragraph 339O of the Immigration Rules. Decision makers must consider whether the claimant would face a well-founded fear of persecution in the place of relocation, and, if not, whether it is reasonable to expect them to travel to, and stay, there.Our guidance for considering asylum claims, which includes a section on internal relocation, is available on GOV.UK at: Assessing credibility and refugee status: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Each individual assessment is made against the background of relevant case law and the latest available country of origin information. Our assessment of the situation in Ukraine is set out in the relevant Country Policy and Information Notes (CPINs) which are available on GOV.UK at. Ukraine: country policy and information notes - GOV.UK The CPINs for Ukraine are based on evidence taken from a wide range of reliable sources, including reputable media outlets; local, national and international organisations, including human rights organisations; and information from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The evidence base for assessing safety of return is available in the footnotes and bibliography of the CPINs. Asylum grant rates can vary for a number of reasons, including the protection needs of those who claim asylum in the UK. They can also be affected by operational resourcing and policy decisions, such as changes to the types of cases prioritised for decisions.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the radioisotope supply disruption in late 2024 on patients.

The 2024 disruption was caused by the required closures of a number of reactors used to supply the United Kingdom and Europe. In response to this shortage, the Department worked closely with suppliers, the National Health Service, the British Nuclear Medicine Society, the UK Radiopharmacy Group, and the devolved administrations to ensure that the limited available supplies were shared equitably and that patients with the most critical needs were prioritised. A National Patient Safety Alert was issued providing guidance to radiopharmacy units on how to manage affected patients.

Whether his Department plans to introduce a community-based audiology service for adults to improve access to assessment and treatment.

Community health services are a fundamental part of the health and care system and an essential building block in developing a neighbourhood health service. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of community health services, including audiology, to meet the needs of their local populations.However, we know people are waiting too long to access audiology services. For the first time, we have set a clear target through the Medium Term Planning Framework, for systems to work to, in order to reduce long waits for community health services. By 2028/29 at least 80% of community health services activity should take place within 18 weeks. This includes community audiology services. This will be a key part of the shift from hospital to community. In 2025, we published, for the first time, an overview of the core community health services, Standardising Community Health Services, that ICBs should consider when planning for their local populations to support improved commissioning and delivery of community health services, a vital part of neighbourhood health. It provides a baseline standard to ensure consistent delivery of community services, including audiology services, supporting effective commissioning and improved patient access. Further guidance was published in February 2026, providing more detailed descriptions of community audiology services for ICBs. We are also committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity, including for audiology services for adults with age-related hearing loss. NHS England is supporting provider organisations and ICBs who are the commissioners of audiology services to improve performance and reduce waiting lists for appointments and assessments for hearing services. This includes capital investment to upgrade audiology facilities in NHS trusts, expanding audiology testing capacity via community diagnostic centres, and direct support through a national audiology improvement collaborative.

What steps his Department is taking to recover unpaid court fines.

The Government takes the recovery and enforcement of financial penalties seriously and remains committed to ensuring penalties are paid. His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service uses robust methods to do so including taking money from an offender’s benefits or salary and seizing and selling goods. In addition, the court can send offenders to prison for non-payment.HMCTS is investing over £14 million to replace an outdated IT system used to support the collection and enforcement of financial penalties. Although the functionality of the modernised system will initially be largely like for like, it will provide HMCTS with a stable foundation for more sophisticated technology features to be delivered in the future to provide further improvements to increase collections.

If her Department will consider using World Wildlife Day to promote driver awareness of wildlife on the roads.

The Department do not have any plans to use World Wildlife Day to promote driver awareness of wildlife on the roads. A main focus for this Government is to make our roads safer for all users, which will in turn reduce the risk to all animals. There is a range of traffic signs prescribed in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 to warn drivers of road safety risks due to wildlife on or near roads. It is for local traffic authorities to determine if such signs are required to address a road safety issue on their roads.Advice on the use of these signs is given in Chapter 4 of the Traffic Signs Manual, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-manual

What steps his Department is taking to increase access to Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography scans for cancer diagnosis.

The Government is committed to increasing access to Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) scans and other nuclear medicine for cancer diagnosis, primarily by boosting overall diagnostic capacity.As part of the diagnostic capital allocation from the Spending Reviews between 2021 and 2026, five schemes have been funded to replace aged computed tomography or SPECT-CT scanners with new SPECT-CT scanners for a total investment of £6.2 million. The benefits include increased throughput of patients, lower radiation doses, faster scans, reduced sedation of patients, and improved image quality.SPECT-CT bids are also within the scope of the 2026 Spending Review multi-year diagnostic capital process, which is ongoing.

What steps his Department is taking to improve audiology waiting times for adults with age-related hearing loss.

We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity, including for audiology services for adults with age-related hearing loss.NHS England is supporting provider organisations and integrated care boards (ICBs), who are the commissioners of audiology services, to improve performance and reduce waiting lists for appointments and assessments for hearing services. This includes capital investment to upgrade audiology facilities in NHS trusts, expanding audiology testing capacity via community diagnostic centres (CDCs), and direct support through a national audiology improvement collaborative.The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and modernisation efforts needed to return to the 18-week constitutional standard by the end of this Parliament. The plan commits to transform and expand diagnostic services and speed up waiting times for tests, a crucial part of reducing overall waiting times and returning to the RTT 18-week standard.  This includes expanding existing CDCs, as well as building up to five new ones in 2025/26, and commits to CDCs opening 12 hours per day, seven days a week, delivering more same-day tests and consultations and an expanded range of tests.For the first time, we have set a clear target through the Medium Term Planning Framework, for systems to work to reduce long waits. By 2028/29, at least 80% of community health services activity should take place within 18 weeks. This includes community audiology services.

What steps his Department is taking to (i) track volatility in the home heating oil market and (ii) assess its impact on consumers.

The Government is closely monitoring heating oil, petrol and diesel prices in light of instability in the Middle East. International kerosene prices are >75% higher than they were before the conflict and this is putting pressure on heating oil prices. The Secretary of State has written to the industry reminding heating oil distributors of their commitments under the UKIFDA Code of Practice, including the need for fair, transparent and justifiable pricing. Ministers have also spoken with the Competition and Markets Authority, who have announced they are reviewing evidence of potential unfair practices and anti-competitive behaviour. We are keeping under review whether any further support or action is needed to protect consumers.

What (a) travel expenses and (b) other financial support are available to nursing students.

The Department for Education provides the primary funding support package for English domiciled students in higher education through the student loans system.We want to remove the barriers to training in clinical roles like nursing, which is why in addition to student loans, the Department of Health and Social Care provides supplementary non-repayable grants via the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF). Eligible nursing students receive a minimum of £5,000 in each academic year, with an additional £1,000 per academic year available for priority areas such as mental health nursing or learning disabilities nursing. Further financial support is also available for childcare, dual accommodation costs, and travel.These funding arrangements are reviewed annually ahead of the start of each academic year.The 10-Year Health Plan, published in July 2025, set out that we will help students overcome financial obstacles to learning. We are working with the NHS Business Services Authority to reform and modernise the process of supporting students with their placement expenses, including reducing delays to reimbursement of their placement travel and accommodation costs.

What assessment his Department has made of the security of UK medical isotope supply.

The responsibility for the security of UK medical isotope supply sits with the Department for Health and Social Care’

How many admissions there were in each mental health inpatient unit in each of the last five years.

The information requested is not available in the format requested, as NHS England does not publish information at mental health inpatient unit level. The attached table has been provided by NHS England and shows admissions by mental health provider from 2020/21 to 2024/25.

What information her Department holds on the number of schools who have their own minibus.

The department does not collect or hold information about the number of schools who have their own minibus.

What steps she is taking to ensure that all schools are adequately prepared for emergency situations.

All education, childcare and children’s social care settings should have emergency plans in place. They must also comply with legal responsibilities, including under health and safety law.The department publishes non-statutory guidance to support settings plan for emergencies within their own local context. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings.In any emergency, education, childcare and children's social care settings should keep children and staff safe and seek to minimise the amount and length of any disruption.

What data her Department holds on the (i) volume and (ii) cost of missed MOT appointments in each of the last three financial years.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) supervises the delivery of light vehicle MOTs in Great Britain through its approved MOT garages. However, as these are private garages, DVSA does not collate overall data on the volume and cost of missed MOT appointments.