Written questions by Reynolds.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of defined benefit pension schemes for public sector workers on the public purse; and whether she plans to review the balance between defined benefit and defined contribution pension schemes across the (a) public and (b) private sectors.

In line with the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission’s report in 2011, the Government’s central measure of the affordability of public service pensions is long-term public service pension spending as a share of GDP. In its Fiscal Risk and Sustainability Report 2024, the OBR projects that this measure will fall from 1.9% in 2023-24 to 1.4% in 2073-74. The Government has established a new Pensions Commission, to support a strong, sustainable and fair pension system that secures a financially secure retirement for millions of private sector pensioners into the middle of this century.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the recruitment of magistrates from (a) younger age groups and (b) ethnic minority communities.

The Ministry of Justice is committed to building a strong and sustainable magistracy that reflects the diversity of the communities it serves. Marketing materials are specifically designed to attract younger and more ethnically diverse candidates, and the Department keeps the recruitment process under review to ensure it supports applications from diverse applicants. In 2024-25, ethnic minority individuals constituted 23% of all magistrate appointments; and 41% of magistrate appointments were aged under 50.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring leasehold contracts to (a) include (i) a clear summary of the key terms and conditions and (ii) accessible web links to the full documentation, and (b) require leaseholders to sign to confirm they have read and understood those terms and conditions.

My Department has not carried out an assessment on this specific issue. It is essential that leaseholders understand their rights and responsibilities and are able to access information regarding their leasehold arrangements. Leaseholders can view high level information on their lease on the title register or request an official copy of their lease from HM Land Registry (HMLR) using form OC2. A dataset of registered leases is also published by HMLR and can be accessed free of charge for personal use. It can be found on gov.uk here. On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. For an overview of the proposals set out in the consultation, I refer the hon. Member to the associated Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS780). The consultation closed on 26 September, and we are analysing responses. On 6 October 2025, the government published a consultation on proposals to improve to the home buying and selling process. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation includes proposals to require sellers and estate agents to provide upfront property information. This might include information relating to leasehold terms, property condition, and purchasing chains. Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, property listings must already not omit information that the average consumer needs to make an informed transactional decision.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the cumulative impact of the rollout of digital street infrastructure on (a) public digital connectivity, (b) local amenity, and (c) compliance with telecommunications licensing conditions.

As a result of commercial market and publicly funded rollout, over 88% of UK premises can now access gigabit-capable broadband, up from less than 10% in 2019. In their Connected Nations Spring update, published 8 May 2025, Ofcom reported that as of January 2025, 5G coverage was available outside of 96% of premises across the UK from at least one operator, up from 69% in May 2022.The impact of digital infrastructure on local amenity is assessed by local planning authorities on a case by case basis. Planning conditions in legislation ensure that operators minimise the visual impact of new network development on the surrounding area as much as possible.It is the responsibility of Ofcom to ensure operators comply with their telecommunications licensing conditions.

Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to strengthen the collective rights of (a) leaseholders and (b) residents’ associations to (i) access information, (ii) influence management decisions, and (iii) protect shared funds.

On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. For an overview of the proposals set out in the consultation, I refer the hon. Member to the associated Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS780). The consultation closed on 26 September and we are analysing responses. The government is committed to enacting remaining Law Commission recommendations relating to the leasehold Right to Manage.

What steps the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is taking to ensure transparency in the (a) operation and (b) maintenance of the UK orphan medicines register.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care and regulates medicine, medical devices and blood components for transfusion in the UK, with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality and efficacy.The United Kingdom Orphan Register is publicly available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/orphan-registered-medicinal-products/orphan-registerThe register is updated by the MHRA when a new orphan medicinal product or new orphan indication is authorised or their market protection expires. A process of checks to be carried out on the register on a periodic basis has been implemented to ensure that accuracy of the website is maintained.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of (a) digital advertising screens, (b) digital telecommunications hubs and (c) other digital street infrastructure on (i) street clutter and (ii) pedestrian accessibility in urban areas; and whether his Department plans to issue updated guidance to local planning authorities on managing the cumulative impact of such installations on (A) public spaces and (B) the streetscape.

The advertisement control regime seeks to control the impact of advertisements by reference to their effect on amenity and public safety. Responsibility for the application of the legislation rests with local planning authorities and they are best placed to consider the impact of specific advertisements. My Department has not made any assessment of the impact of digital advertising screens and we have no current plans to issue guidance to local planning authorities on the cumulative impact of such installations.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people can effectively exercise their legal right to object to the use of their personal data for direct marketing.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published information on the right to object to the processing of personal for the purpose of direct marketing here: Right to object | ICO.Anyone concerned about the handling of their personal data by any organisation has the right to complain to the ICO. The ICO has a range of tools to tackle the unlawful processing of personal data, including powers to issue substantial monetary penalties for serious breaches of the data protection legislation. Information about the ICO’s enforcement action can be found at: https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence not having updated its methods on evaluating the wider societal costs of rare diseases since 2017.

There are no plans to introduce a separate evaluation process for orphan medicines. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether all new licensed medicines, including medicines for rare diseases, should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. NICE operates a separate highly specialised technologies programme for the evaluation of a small number of treatments for very rare, very severe diseases which uses a much higher cost-effectiveness threshold that recognises the challenges of bringing treatments for very rare diseases to market.NICE’s methods have been proven to be suitable for the evaluation of rare disease medicines, where companies are willing to price their medicines fairly. NICE’s approval rate for medicines for rare diseases is in line with its overall approval rate for new medicines, and from April 2024 to April 2025, NICE recommended all 15 of the rare disease drugs that it evaluated through its standard technology appraisal programme.

Whether his Department plans to examine options for a separate evaluation process for orphan medicines claiming significant benefit over existing treatments.

There are no plans to introduce a separate evaluation process for orphan medicines. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether all new licensed medicines, including medicines for rare diseases, should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. NICE operates a separate highly specialised technologies programme for the evaluation of a small number of treatments for very rare, very severe diseases which uses a much higher cost-effectiveness threshold that recognises the challenges of bringing treatments for very rare diseases to market.NICE’s methods have been proven to be suitable for the evaluation of rare disease medicines, where companies are willing to price their medicines fairly. NICE’s approval rate for medicines for rare diseases is in line with its overall approval rate for new medicines, and from April 2024 to April 2025, NICE recommended all 15 of the rare disease drugs that it evaluated through its standard technology appraisal programme.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of UK defence readiness following recent Russian incursions in NATO airspace; and what steps he is taking to help ensure that (a) the UK and (b) its allies are able to respond effectively to potential future incursions.

The UK is committed to defending every inch of NATO territory, including our contribution of Typhoon jets to defend Polish airspace as part of NATO’s Eastern Sentry. NATO is more united than ever as we continue to work closely to support Ukraine and defend the alliance’s territory. The Defence Secretary recently confirmed that we will be extending our contribution to Eastern Sentry until the end of 2025. Over the past 18 months, the RAF has also conducted routine deployments of Typhoons to both Poland and Romania to protect NATO airspace. In the UK, RAF fighter jets at RAF Coningsby and RAF Lossiemouth are held at continuous high readiness 24/7, 365 days a year, to protect UK sovereign airspace. They routinely launch to intercept unidentified aircraft flying in the UK’s area of interest as part of NATO’s air policing mission.

What recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of regional variations in the proportion of NHS Continuing Healthcare applications that are approved; and what steps he is taking to ensure consistency in decision making across Integrated Care Boards.

The Department works closely with NHS England to monitor levels of regional variation in eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC). This includes NHS England implementing an operational assurance regime across regions which promotes accurate assessment, equal access, standardisation, and consistency within CHC funding.This assurance regime has a specific focus on reducing unwarranted variation in CHC across the country. To support this further during 2025/26, NHS England has increased their regional assurance meetings from every three months to every two months.To support improved patient experience in relation to CHC, the NHS Performance and Assessment Framework for 2025/26 also includes an assurance standard for Integrated Care Boards to monitor the percentage of Standard CHC referrals completed within 28 days.

What his Department’s policy is on the use of cash for food vendor payments in NHS hospitals.

The Department does not have a policy on the use of cash for the payment of food vendors in National Health Service hospitals. These decisions are taken locally by NHS organisations.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to publish guidance for managing agents and freeholders on how costs should be allocated for remedial works relating to historic building defects when the developer is no longer in existence.

The Building Safety Act allows for civil cases to be brought against companies which were associated with those responsible for historic building defects, even when these responsible parties are no longer in existence or are making use of complex corporate structures to avoid their remediation responsibilities. Guidance on how costs should be allocated for remedial works relating to historic building defects when the developer is no longer in existence (in which case costs are shared between government, leaseholders and freeholders) has already been published and can be found here:Remediation costs: what leaseholders do and do not have to pay - GOV.UKLeaseholder contribution caps - GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating an accreditation scheme for fire door replacement works to allow approved contractors to carry out such works without requiring Building Safety Regulator approval.

The government introduced the higher-risk building control regime to ensure more stringent oversight and accountability during the design and construction of higher-risk buildings, backed by stronger enforcement and sanctions. All proposed higher-risk building work now must receive approval from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) before starting. These changes are in line with Dame Judith Hackitt’s recommendations to improve the focus on compliance with building regulations and to ensure residents are, and feel, safe in their homes. However, we are aware that there are concerns regarding the impacts of the delays and the difficulty in getting approval for certain types of high-volume work to existing higher-risk buildings, including the repair and replacement of fire doors. We are working closely with the BSR to address these current challenges and to ensure the regime is proportionate and fit for purpose. Nevertheless, allowing certain types of higher-risk building work to progress without BSR oversight risks inconsistency in applying building regulations, potentially compromising safety standards and resulting in non-compliance. Therefore, any changes would need to be carefully considered, particularly while the sector is still getting to grips with the new regime. Competent Person Schemes allow registered professionals and companies to self-certify their work as compliant with the building regulations. Operation of a scheme is voluntary, as is membership of a scheme. Scheme operators are authorised under paragraph 4A of Schedule 1 to the Building Act 1984 and are named in Schedule 3 to the Building Regulations 2010.  After applying, they are assessed by the BSR and approved by MHCLG ministers. Before ministerial approval, applicants must demonstrate that they have the managerial, financial and technical ability to operate a scheme. This includes demonstrating compliance with the Conditions of Authorisation. At this time, no industry organisation has expressed interest in operating a Competent Person Scheme for the repair and/or replacement of fire doors.

Whether he is taking steps to (a) speed up the marriage application process, (b) expand the scope of legal marriage venues and (c) review the 28-day notice period prior to the marriage ceremony.

The 28-day notice period implemented by the Immigration Act 2014 remains in place not only for administrative reasons but also to support safeguards against sham marriages. The Government has no plans to review this.The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the reform of weddings law, including in relation to preliminaries, and where weddings can take place. The Government appreciates the importance of these issues and will provide an update in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of nurseries falling within Class E of the Town and Country Planning Order 1987 on neighbouring residents; and if he will review the classification to ensure that (a) traffic generation, (b) parking pressure and (c) road safety can be properly considered by local planning authorities before such uses are introduced.

My Department has made no such an assessment. We continue to keep planning regulations under review.

What estimate she has made of the additional level of funding that would be required to enable HM Revenue and Customs to answer all telephone calls.

HMRC’s published historic data series includes figures for 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17. This data sets out the number of telephony contacts and the percentage of total call attempts handled by HMRC Contact Centres. These figures, along with the length of time which callers waited before ending their call without speaking to an adviser, are set out in the table below: Telephony2014-152015-162016-17Contacts 64,781,97860,804,09249,865,940% of total call attempts handled by Contact Centres71.971.691.7Average length of time that callers to HMRC waited before ending their call without speaking to an adviser (minutes and seconds)10:1814:336:53 The percentage of total call attempts handled by contact centres includes calls handled by an adviser and calls where the query was resolved without speaking to an adviser, for example, after listening to a recorded informational message. HMRC’s telephone service standard is to answer 85 per cent of phone calls to advisers. This has been the primary telephony target since 2022-23, and there is published performance against this metric since 2020-21, which can be found in HMRC’s historic data series on Gov.uk. A target of 85 per cent of adviser attempts handled was reviewed and confirmed as part of HMRC's funding settlement at the Spending Review in June 2025. HMRC has not made an assessment of the additional level of funding that would be required to enable HMRC to answer all telephone calls. The target of answering 85 per cent of calls to advisers, which was agreed at the Spending Review in June 2025, strikes the necessary balance between delivering a good service and providing value for money to taxpayers.

What the average length of time was that callers to HM Revenue and Customs waited before ending their call without speaking to an adviser in (a) 2015 and (b) 2016.

HMRC’s published historic data series includes figures for 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17. This data sets out the number of telephony contacts and the percentage of total call attempts handled by HMRC Contact Centres. These figures, along with the length of time which callers waited before ending their call without speaking to an adviser, are set out in the table below: Telephony2014-152015-162016-17Contacts 64,781,97860,804,09249,865,940% of total call attempts handled by Contact Centres71.971.691.7Average length of time that callers to HMRC waited before ending their call without speaking to an adviser (minutes and seconds)10:1814:336:53 The percentage of total call attempts handled by contact centres includes calls handled by an adviser and calls where the query was resolved without speaking to an adviser, for example, after listening to a recorded informational message. HMRC’s telephone service standard is to answer 85 per cent of phone calls to advisers. This has been the primary telephony target since 2022-23, and there is published performance against this metric since 2020-21, which can be found in HMRC’s historic data series on Gov.uk. A target of 85 per cent of adviser attempts handled was reviewed and confirmed as part of HMRC's funding settlement at the Spending Review in June 2025. HMRC has not made an assessment of the additional level of funding that would be required to enable HMRC to answer all telephone calls. The target of answering 85 per cent of calls to advisers, which was agreed at the Spending Review in June 2025, strikes the necessary balance between delivering a good service and providing value for money to taxpayers.

What the service level target is for HM Revenue and Customs for answering telephone calls; and when that target was last reviewed.

HMRC’s published historic data series includes figures for 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17. This data sets out the number of telephony contacts and the percentage of total call attempts handled by HMRC Contact Centres. These figures, along with the length of time which callers waited before ending their call without speaking to an adviser, are set out in the table below: Telephony2014-152015-162016-17Contacts 64,781,97860,804,09249,865,940% of total call attempts handled by Contact Centres71.971.691.7Average length of time that callers to HMRC waited before ending their call without speaking to an adviser (minutes and seconds)10:1814:336:53 The percentage of total call attempts handled by contact centres includes calls handled by an adviser and calls where the query was resolved without speaking to an adviser, for example, after listening to a recorded informational message. HMRC’s telephone service standard is to answer 85 per cent of phone calls to advisers. This has been the primary telephony target since 2022-23, and there is published performance against this metric since 2020-21, which can be found in HMRC’s historic data series on Gov.uk. A target of 85 per cent of adviser attempts handled was reviewed and confirmed as part of HMRC's funding settlement at the Spending Review in June 2025. HMRC has not made an assessment of the additional level of funding that would be required to enable HMRC to answer all telephone calls. The target of answering 85 per cent of calls to advisers, which was agreed at the Spending Review in June 2025, strikes the necessary balance between delivering a good service and providing value for money to taxpayers.