Written questions by Davies.

Whether she has made a comparative assessment of measures taken to prevent or restrict third-party resellers of Electronic Travel Authorisations in (a) the UK and (b) other countries.

We would always recommend that applications for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) be made via the official ETA app, and have consistently advised against the use of third party websites that offer ETAs. The overwhelming majority of applications are made via the app or the official web portal.

Whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that veterans with recognised service-related conditions are able to access specialist-prescribed private treatments under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) may cover medical expenses for seriously injured veterans living abroad after discharge, provided the treatment aligns with UK best clinical practice at the time of decision. This is a specific exception and the AFCS does not generally fund private medical care. For UK-based Serving personnel and veterans whose injuries or illnesses are service-related, the NHS is the official and recommended healthcare provider, delivering specialised, high-quality care tailored to their needs. In its 7th Report, the Independent Medical Expert Group reaffirmed support for this model, advocating continued reliance on the NHS rather than establishing a separate, parallel system and we continue to work closely with our partners in the NHS.

With reference to the consultation entitled Amendments to secondary legislation on the police removal, storage and disposal of vehicles, closed on 8 July 2025, if her Department will make and assessment of the potential merits of (a) donating seized vehicles, motorbikes and e-bikes to charity and (b) using them for the delivery of public services.

The Home Office has no plans to regulate the method of disposal following vehicle seizure. Decisions on the best method of vehicle disposal is an operational matter for Chief Officers of local forces to decide based on the specific circumstances and how they can recoup the vehicle recovery costs as set out in the statutory fees. We will support the police and recovery operators to ensure they have the necessary tools to deal with vehicle recovery.

Whether the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme provides reimbursement for clinically prescribed private (a) healthcare and (b) medication in cases where NHS treatment pathways are (i) unavailable and (ii) ineffective.

The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) may cover medical expenses for seriously injured veterans living abroad after discharge, provided the treatment aligns with UK best clinical practice at the time of decision. This is a specific exception and the AFCS does not generally fund private medical care. For UK-based Serving personnel and veterans whose injuries or illnesses are service-related, the NHS is the official and recommended healthcare provider, delivering specialised, high-quality care tailored to their needs. In its 7th Report, the Independent Medical Expert Group reaffirmed support for this model, advocating continued reliance on the NHS rather than establishing a separate, parallel system and we continue to work closely with our partners in the NHS.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 65111 on Tickets: Sales Methods, when her Department plans to publish its response to the consultation entitled Putting Fans First: consultation on the resale of live events tickets, published on 10 January 2025; and for what reason the response has been delayed.

This Government is committed to introducing new protections for consumers on ticket resales, which is why we launched the Putting Fans First consultation on the resale of live events tickets.We are considering the evidence provided in response to our consultation earlier this year and will set out our plans soon.

What plans he has to improve access to Padcev for (a) patients who have undergone chemotherapy and (b) all patients.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service in England on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded for eligible patients based on an assessment of the evidence of clinical and cost effectiveness.NICE issued guidance that recommends enfortumab vedotin (Padcev) with pembrolizumab (Keytruda), within its marketing authorisation, as an option for untreated unresectable or metastatic urothelial cancer in adults when platinum-based chemotherapy is suitable. It is now available for NHS patients in line with NICE’s recommendations. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta1097/chapter/1-RecommendationNICE was unable to make recommendations on the use of Padcev in the treatment of people who have previously undergone chemotherapy as the manufacturing company, Astellas, did not provide an evidence submission. Astellas has confirmed that there is unlikely to be enough evidence that the technology is a cost-effective use of NHS resources in this population. NICE will review the position if the company decides that it wants to make an evidence submission.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.

I would like to reiterate my deepest sympathies to all those individuals who have experienced harm following vaccination, and to their families.I recognise many of the concerns that campaigners have raised regarding the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS). Their input will shape our ongoing consideration of reforms to the scheme.In parallel, the Department continues to work with the NHS Business Services Authority, the administrators of the VDPS, to take further steps to improve the scheme, including through processing claims at a faster rate.I will keep Parliament updated, as appropriate.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of (a) reviewing and (b) increasing the level of payment provided under the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.

I would like to reiterate my deepest sympathies to all those individuals who have experienced harm following vaccination, and to their families.I recognise many of the concerns that campaigners have raised regarding the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS). Their input will shape our ongoing consideration of reforms to the scheme.In parallel, the Department continues to work with the NHS Business Services Authority, the administrators of the VDPS, to take further steps to improve the scheme, including through processing claims at a faster rate.I will keep Parliament updated, as appropriate.

How many (a) applications have been received under the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme from people reporting disabilities resulting from the COVID-19 vaccination and (b) awards related to covid-19 vaccinations have been made through that scheme.

The latest data from the National Health Service Business Services Authority, the administrators of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS), show that as of 3 October 2025 (a) 22,079 VDPS applications have been received through the scheme relating to COVID-19 vaccinations. Of these, following medical assessment, (b) 237 applications have resulted in a payment being awarded.Information about COVID-19 claims to the VDPS is published on a quarterly basis by the NHS Business Service Authority. Data is available at the following link:https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/vdps-covid-19

Whether his Department plans to continue supporting the implementation of NHS England’s acute aortic dissection toolkit after the proposed abolition of NHS England.

The Department will continue to support the implementation of NHS England’s acute aortic dissection toolkit.In 2022, NHS England published the Acute Aortic Dissection Toolkit to support service transformation across England. Initial implementation support was provided by NHS England’s national team, however, responsibility for implementation has now transitioned to regional commissioning teams and integrated care boards, to oversee and monitor progress. The toolkit includes self-assessment questionnaires for providers and clinical networks to use as part of their assurance and monitoring processes. In collaboration with the EARNEST trial, NHS England will undertake a stocktake of implementation progress across centres, the findings of which will be shared with regional commissioning teams and clinical networks to support any follow up actions as required.NHS England’s national team is now working with the vascular and cardiac professional societies to develop a type B, elective aortic dissection toolkit, which is anticipated for publication in 2026.

Whether he plans to support the continued (a) development and (b) implementation of NHS England’s elective toolkit given NHS England's planned abolition.

The NHS England Elective toolkit does not have one single function, as there are multiple different toolkits available. For example, the Children and young people’s elective recovery toolkit and the Getting It Right First Time toolkit, to support the development of elective surgical hubs.As part of the transformation programme, we are reviewing the appropriate options to merge existing functions between NHS England and the Department, to ensure we maintain progress on tackling the elective waiting list. We will continue to support the wider system through the transformation and will ensure they have the tools and resources available to deliver on the commitments outlined by the Government.Cutting elective care waiting lists is a key priority for the Government, and the steps we have taken have resulted in a 220,000 reduction in the waiting list over the last year.We have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, having now delivered 5.2 million more appointments. This marks a vital first step to delivering on the commitment that 92% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment, in line with the National Health Service constitutional standard, by March 2029. We will create an NHS fit for the future, modernising care so that it takes place efficiently and closer to home, prioritising patient experience and ensuring that wherever you live in England, you will be seen, diagnosed, and treated in a timely way.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support local authorities to (a) reduce and (b) replace their use of pesticides.

The Government’s first priority with regard to pesticides is to ensure that they will not harm people or animal health or pose unacceptable risks to the environment.There is a legal requirement to minimise the use of pesticides along roads and in areas used by the public. It is for each Local Authority to decide the best way of delivering effective and cost-effective weed control in its operations while protecting people and the environment.Earlier this year, I met with local authorities to hear about their experiences implementing sustainable practices in urban environments. This highlighted the importance of peer-to-peer learning, and Defra will continue to strongly encourage local authorities to share knowledge to promote best practice.Defra also funded the recent publication of Parks for London’s Integrated Weed Management guide.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to increase transparency around use of pesticides by local authorities.

The Government’s first priority with regard to pesticides is to ensure that they will not harm people or animal health or pose unacceptable risks to the environment. There is a legal requirement to minimise the use of pesticides along roads and in areas used by the public. It is for each Local Authority to decide the best way of delivering effective and cost-effective weed control in its operations while protecting people and the environment.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of potential impact of pet pesticide products on the environment.

The Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMR) 2013, as amended, ensure that all veterinary medicines undergo rigorous scientific assessment, including environmental risk assessments, before being authorised for use. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate has formed the Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) Group as a UK cross-government platform to enable discussion and knowledge exchange relating to pharmaceuticals in the environment from human, veterinary and, where there is cross over, agricultural and non-agricultural sources. They have recently set out a roadmap of activities to address the levels of fipronil and imidacloprid detected in UK waterways.

On what date the most recent assessment of the classification of cannabis under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 was conducted; and what evidence base was considered in reaching the conclusions of that assessment.

The Government has not made an assessment of the classification of cannabis under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Ministers have a statutory obligation to receive and consider advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (‘ACMD’) before seeking to make changes to the classification of drugs. It is our understanding that the most recent assessment of the classification of cannabis was undertaken in 2008. This followed a review by the ACMD in that year.The then government published its response to the ACMD review setting out the reason for its classification decision at that time.

Whether his Department plans to maintain the collective patient voice function supported by Healthwatch England in the reformed NHS structures.

Dr Dash’s review of patient safety across the health and care landscape was published in July 2025. It recommended that the strategic functions of Healthwatch England are transferred into the new patient experience directorate of the Department. This new directorate will be responsible for overseeing the collection of more informed feedback from both patients and carers and significantly improving the complaints function across the National Health Service. It ensures that the NHS properly manages and learns from complaints.The abolition of Healthwatch England, the transfer of its functions, and the changes to local Healthwatch will require primary legislation. The timing of this is subject to the will of Parliament and will happen when parliamentary time allows.

What the planned timescale is for the abolition of Healthwatch England.

The closure of Healthwatch England and the transfer of its functions will require primary legislation. The Dash review of patient safety across the health and care landscape, published in July 2025, recommends that the strategic functions of Healthwatch England are transferred into the new patient experience directorate of the Department. The timing of this is subject to the will of Parliament, and will happen when parliamentary time allows.

Whether he has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of treating post traumatic stress disorder in veterans with (a) medical cannabis and (b) MDMA assisted therapy.

We recognise that the use of cannabis-based medicines and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies, such as MDMA to treat mental illness, is gaining attention both within the medical and scientific communities as well as within the public more broadly. The licensing regime for controlled drugs allows legitimate medical research to take place with an appropriate licence and safeguards. A number of clinical studies are already being conducted, although no such substance has yet been licensed as safe and effective in the treatment of mental health conditions.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research supports the safe and scientifically sound conduct of clinical trials in this area and provides regulatory and scientific advice to companies at all stages of developing medicines. Any application for a marketing authorisation, otherwise known as a product licence, will be determined by the MHRA.In line with the development of all medicines, as the evidence base grows and medicinal products are licensed, we will make sure that they are made available to patients, including through the National Health Service, if they are recommended by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence.

Whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health on the potential merits of providing full spectrum medical cannabis to veterans with specific PTSD symptoms under the medical exemption certificate.

The Government is committed to ensuring all veterans have access to the support they need, including health support. I have not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care about medical cannabis.If veterans are in need of support with their mental health, I encourage them to reach out to their GP or, for those in England, Op COURAGE: the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service, which provides a broad range of specialist mental health and wellbeing care and support for service leavers, reservists, veterans and their families.Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also have their own specialist support pathways, through Veterans First Point Scotland, Veterans NHS Wales, and Veterans Welfare Services Northern Ireland, and each nations’ government is responsible for commissioning of treatment options.

What steps her Department is taking to help improve young people's understanding of climate change through the national curriculum.

The national curriculum provides a broad framework within which schools have the flexibility to develop the content of their own curricula. Topics related to climate change and the environment are included within the existing programmes of study for geography, science and citizenship, and Oak National Academy provides free, adaptable resources to support teachers in teaching this content well.The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is considering all subjects, including whether any changes are needed to geography, science and citizenship. Its findings and recommendations will be included in the final report that will be published in autumn.In addition, we are developing a new GCSE in natural history. The GCSE will equip young people to understand and respect the natural world and contribute to the protection and conservation of the environment locally, nationally and internationally. An environmental science A level is also available.