Written questions by Shannon.

What steps he is taking to improve workplace catering and break facilities for healthcare workers.

Good physical working environments are important for staff wellbeing and retention. Staff need to be given the time and space to rest and recover from their work, particularly when working on-call or overnight. This is recognised as a priority in the NHS People Promise which sets out the importance of employers prioritising spaces for staff to rest and recuperate, and ensuring access to hot food and drinks.In May 2024, NHS England and NHS Charities Together launched a £10 million Workforce Wellbeing Programme to support National Health Service staff in England. It will provide tailored health and wellbeing support to NHS staff, including grants to improve facilities. A three-year programme of work named Great Food, Good Health, led by NHS England, aims to improve the experience and quality of nutritious food that patients, staff, and visitors receive in hospital. As part of this, the NHS made clear that NHS organisations must be able to demonstrate they have suitable 24/7 food service provision.

What steps her Department has taken to help reduce instances of matricide.

The scale of violence against women and girls (VAWG) is intolerable, and this Government has set out a mission to halve these crimes over the next decade.The Home Office is working to develop the evidence base on domestic abuse related deaths by funding the Domestic Homicide Project, which captures information all domestic abuse related deaths, including matricides, from all 43 police forces in England and Wales. The objective of this project is to improve our understanding of these cases and identify how the response to them can be improved. Further information about this research can be found at the following link: https://www.vkpp.org.uk/vkpp-work/domestic-homicide-project/. In addition, Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) offer a vital opportunity fornational and local agencies, local communities and society as a whole to learn lessons from domestic abuse related deaths, including cases of matricide. We are currently reforming the DHR process to ensure learning is effectively identified and implemented to improve systems and ultimately, prevent future deaths.

What consideration has been given to extending customer service opening hours for HMRC.

Most HMRC helplines are available Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm. Helplines have previously been open during the evenings and at weekends, but the majority of customers continued to contact HMRC during office hours. HMRC therefore made an informed choice to provide helpline services at times which best match customer demand. HMRC encourages customers to self-serve online where possible. HMRC online services accessed via GOV.UK and the HMRC app offer 24/7 convenience and consistently receive high customer satisfaction ratings. Earlier this year, HMRC published a transformation roadmap which includes details about new digital services that will mean a better experience for taxpayers, agents, and businesses. Further details are available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-transformation-roadmap While HMRC’s ambition is to provide a digital experience for most customers, they recognise that this is not appropriate for everyone, for example the digitally excluded, those who require extra help, or those with more complex enquiries. HMRC will always provide a service to meet the needs of these customers, including through non-digital channels. For those customers who need extra help and meet the criteria, HMRC provide tailored support via their Extra Support team. This team can also signpost customers to voluntary and community organisations, who can offer free advice and support.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the increase in National Insurance contributions on costs to consumers.

The government published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) which set out the impact of the changes to employer NICs, including impacts for individuals, alongside the introduction of the Bill. The government is cutting inflation next year to bear down on the cost of living, and support price stability, with measures taken at Budget 2025 cutting CPI inflation by 0.4 percentage points in 2026-27.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to promote social inclusion for pensioners in rural areas.

The Government is committed to supporting people to have the social connections they need. This is a key part of achieving wider government priorities across health and community cohesion. The Government funds the Tackling Loneliness Hub, an online forum for people working on loneliness to come together and share insights, research and best practice, with the aim of addressing loneliness and strengthening social connections across our communities. Defra also funds Action with Communities in Rural England to support local action, which includes actions related to social inclusion activities with older people.

What steps are being taken to ensure police officers are trained to identify and help tackle instances of online abuse.

The College of Policing sets standards for police training and development, including the national policing curriculum and accreditations for those who work in high risk or specialist roles. It also works with police forces to support standards of ongoing training and development.On 2 February 2025, we announced a step-change in approach to the way that policing responds to VAWG crimes, through a new National Policing Centre for VAWG and Public Protection. The new centre launched in April 2025, and we are investing £13.1 million pounds this financial year (25/26). This funding includes an uplift of nearly £2 million to enable policing to better target these crimes – including online VAWG - demonstrating the government’s steadfast commitment to halving violence against women and girls in a decade.The new Centre provides coordinated, national leadership within policing to tackle VAWG and child sexual abuse. Centralising policing expertise to tackle these crimes will drive national coordination, with the development of strengthened specialist training for officers across the country ensuring they offer consistent protection for victims and relentlessly pursue of these vile crimes.Under the Online Safety Act, platforms are required to take steps to remove content where it is illegal, including violent material, to protect users and our communities from online harms.Ofcom have set out their expectations for platforms to adhere to: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/open-letter-to-uk-online-service-providers/The government funds an online hate crime reporting portal - True Vision - that was designed so that victims of all types of hate crime do not have to visit a police station to report.The government also funds the National Online Hate Crime Hub which supports individual local police forces in dealing specifically with online hate crime – the Hub provides expert advice to police forces to support them in investigating these abhorrent offences.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of deaths in hospital.

The Government is prioritising patient safety and a learning culture in the National Health Service to prevent harmful events from happening to patients. The NHS Patient Safety Strategy, originally published in 2019, and updated in 2021 and 2023, includes key programmes to support the NHS to improve patient safety continuously and reduce patient harm. Further information on the NHS Patient Safety Strategy is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/the-nhs-patient-safety-strategy/As part of this, the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework reforms the way providers respond to patient safety incidents, with further information available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/patient-safety-insight/incident-response-framework/engaging-and-involving-patients-families-and-staff-following-a-patient-safety-incident/In addition, the Learn From Patient Safety Events service also enables the NHS to learn from more than three million patient safety incidents reported annually, including through the development of machine learning and artificial intelligence tools for analysis. Further information on the Learn From Patient Safety Events service is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/patient-safety-insight/learning-from-patient-safety-events/learn-from-patient-safety-events-service/Other examples of key patient safety initiatives include rollout of Martha’s Rule, with further information available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/marthas-rule/From September 2024 to July 2025, this policy has resulted in changes in treatment for roughly 1,000 patients, with more than 260 patients requiring transfers of care to high dependency or intensive care units, enhanced levels of care, or a tertiary centre. The Government also introduced the statutory medical examiner system from September 2024 which means that medical examiners independently scrutinise every death in England and Wales not referred to a coroner. This is estimated as more than half a million deaths in 12 months. Medical examiners support local learning and improvement by detecting and referring concerns through established local clinical governance processes.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce regional inequalities in the (a) access to and (b) quality of palliative and end of life care.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning palliative care services to meet the reasonable needs of their population. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.This further clarified in the recently published Strategic Commissioning Framework and Medium Term Planning Guidance, which makes clear the expectation that ICBs should understand current and projected service utilisation and costs, creating an overall plan to more effectively meet these needs through neighbourhood health.The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the Hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025. NHS England has developed a palliative and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative and end of life care needs of their local population, enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities, and ensure that funding is distributed fairly, based on prevalence.

How many GP appointments are offered in England each week.

General practice appointment data is collected and published monthly by NHS England. This data records appointments that have actually taken place, rather than those offered. As a result, we are unable to ascertain precisely how many appointments are offered to patients, we can, however, report on the number delivered.In September 2025, 32 million appointments were delivered, which is, on average, approximately eight million appointments delivered in general practice per week.

What recent assessment he has made of levels of employment in the (a) software and (b) computer industries.

No assessment has been made of the levels of employment in (a) software and (b) computer industries. However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) does publish employment by industry which includes the Information & Communication industrial sector here: EMP13: Employment by industry - Office for National Statistics and EMP14: Employees and self-employed by industry - Office for National Statistics. The ONS also publishes employment estimates from Pay As You Earn Real Time Information by industry here: Earnings and employment from Pay As You Earn Real Time Information, seasonally adjusted - Office for National Statistics.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce (a) delays and (b) delays relating to (i) rape and (ii) domestic homicide in the criminal justice system.

This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. It is unacceptable that victims and witnesses are waiting years for justice. This has left tens of thousands of victims facing devastating delays for justice.We are committed to creating a more sustainable justice system, in which victims and the public can have confidence. Upon taking office, the Deputy Prime Minister took immediate action to allocate additional Crown Court sitting days this financial year, taking the total to 111,250 sitting days.However, demand is currently so high, it is indisputable that fundamental reform is needed. That is why this Government commissioned the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to propose once-in-a-generation reform to improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swift justice for victims. Part one of the report has now been published. We are carefully considering Sir Brian’s proposals and will respond in due course.The Ministry of Justice provides funding for victim and witness support services, including community-based domestic abuse and sexual violence services. To ensure these services can continue to be delivered, we have protected dedicated Violence Against Women and Girls victims spending in the Department by maintaining 2024-25 funding levels for ringfenced sexual violence and domestic abuse support this year. The Ministry of Justice also funds the Homicide Service, which provides tailored support to families bereaved by domestic homicide.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Windsor Framework on local airports.

The Windsor Framework gives Northern Ireland unique dual market access which ensures the free movement of goods across the UK and the EU, whilst maintaining the frictionless movement of people and goods on the island of Ireland. Duty-free shopping is not available between Northern Ireland and the EU, as it would require the application of personal allowances and associated border checks, to prevent the uncontrolled flow of tax-free goods into either Northern Ireland or the EU.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterpart in China on ensuring that opposition candidates are not (a) unfairly imprisoned and (b) at risk of violence.

The UK Government stands firm on human rights in China, and we continue to raise our concerns at the highest levels. We continue to coordinate efforts with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations and will continue to call on China to uphold its commitments under international law.

What steps her Department is taking to support the NHS to train more gynaecology specialists.

As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan published on 3 July, over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.In acknowledgement of doctors’ concerns about jobs and access to training places, the Government made an offer to the British Medical Association’s Resident Doctors Committee to double the previously announced increase in specialty training places in the 10-Year Health Plan to 2,000, bringing 1,000 of these forward to next year, create an alternative training pathway, and take steps to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates and doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty posts.

How many people have been admitted to hospital for self injecting botox in the last five years.

The requested data is not held centrally. NHS England does not routinely collect hospital admissions data specifically related to Botox or self-injected Botox.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Pakistani counterparts on the ongoing bonded labour of religious minorities in brick kilns.

The UK Government recognises that serious exploitation persists in Pakistan, including bonded labour in sectors such as the brick kiln industry, where religious minorities are disproportionately affected. We regularly raise human rights concerns with the Government of Pakistan, including the rights and safety of minority communities. I have consistently engaged on these issues, most recently with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister in August. Through UK-funded programmes such as Aawaz II, we have supported awareness campaigns, improved access to justice, and strengthened child protection systems to help tackle exploitative practices. We will continue to press for effective enforcement of Pakistan's laws prohibiting bonded labour and to advocate for the protection of vulnerable groups.

How many people have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease in the last year for which figures are available.

The Department does not hold information in the format requested. The cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention audit provides a count of the number of people with a general practice record of CVD. This information is available publicly at the following link:https://www.cvdprevent.nhs.uk/

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of reports concerning ongoing forced organ harvesting of the Falun Gong in China; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure the cessation of unethical transplant practices.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given in the House of Lords to question HL8230 on 20 June, which has been reproduced below for ease of reference:The environment for freedom of religion or belief in China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. This Government stands firm on human rights, and we raise our concerns at the highest levels. The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang, Vice Premier He and Vice Premier Ding respectively).This Government champions freedom of religion or belief for all abroad. We work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora. We continue to closely monitor the situation for Falun Gong practitioners and maintain a dialogue with NGOs and international partners on the issue.

What steps are being taken to ensure reports of domestic abuse are taken seriously and not missed by the system.

We expect police to take all reports of domestic abuse seriously, taking necessary steps to protect victims. Missed opportunities are costing lives and far too many have already been lost.At present, we know many domestic abuse victims do not receive an adequate response when they phone the police. The government will not stand by while women are failed by systems charged with keeping them safe. That's why earlier this year we launched 'Raneem's Law' in the first five police forces. Under 'Raneem's Law', domestic abuse specialists are embedded in 999 control rooms to improve the police response to reports of domestic abuse. The specialists use their expertise to advise on risk assessments, review 999 calls and support officers responding to domestic abuse incidents.Through an expert-led and cohesive police response, ‘Raneem’s Law’ helps ensure that when a victim has the courage to come forward it will be treated with the seriousness and urgency it deserves.We are also committed to ensuring policing have the right skills and training to respond appropriately to reports of domestic abuse, and are working closely with the new National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection to deliver this.The Home Office has already invested £13.1 million this year into the new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP). This funding includes an uplift of nearly £2 million to deliver a robust package of training improvements.Grounded in academic research and behaviour change science, new training programmes will prioritise trauma-informed learning to ensure that all officers are well equipped to investigate these crimes and provide support to victims.The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this Government is treating it as the national emergency that it is. These steps are just some of many that we are taking towards tangible and impactful change.

Whether her Department is meeting its service standards for the processing and issuing of A1 forms.

Due to increased demand for National Insurance services ahead of the 5 April 2025 deadline for making voluntary contributions, there have been delays in processing A1 applications. As of 2 December 2025:There are around 11,000 digital (online A1) applications outside of service level agreements (SLA). The average wait time is 7 months.Within the above 11,000 figure, there are approximately 4,240 digital (online) CA8421 applications which are outside of SLA. The average wait time is 7 months.There are around 1,300 postal applications outside of SLA. The average wait time is 7 months.Within the above 1,300 figure, there are approximately 430 postal CA8421 applications which are outside of SLA. The average wait time is 7 months. HMRC is aware of the impact of these delays on customers and is taking steps to improve processing times. HMRC is training 700 more National Insurance advisers and expect to meet their SLAs on this work by the end of December 2025. HMRC encourages customers to apply online for A1 certificates as these are quicker to deal with.