Written questions by Lam.

Whether any (a) arm’s-length bodies, (b) agencies and (c) public bodies are being administered under the Privy Council.

The Privy Council does not directly administer any (a) arm’s-length bodies, (b) agencies or (c) public bodies. Certain functions fall to Ministers as Privy Counsellors, either because they arise under the Royal Prerogative or because an Act of Parliament specifies that delegated legislation is to be made by Order in Council, or by the Privy Council. This is usually limited to the approval of governance changes, or appointments, to independent statutory regulators.

Representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what proportion of the IPSA preferred suppliers list for MPs’ office purchases are UK-based manufacturers.

IPSA does not have a preferred suppliers list for MPs' office purchases. MPs are able to apply their own descretion within the parameters set out in the Scheme of MPs' Staffing and Business Costs when accessing funds from their Office Costs Budget.Whilst IPSA does not have a preferred suppliers list for MPs' office purchases, it does have two direct supplier relationships with retail businesses based in the UK or with a UK subsidiary. MPs can make use of these in purchasing certain office supplies and for letterhead printing.

Whether the published list of (a) arm’s-length bodies, (b) Government departments, (c) agencies, (d) public bodies, and (e) other related entities for which a Minister or Department is responsible is complete and does not omit any relevant bodies.

Cabinet Office publishes a list of Departments, agencies and public bodies which can be accessed on gov.uk. Individual government departments are responsible for ensuring their portfolio of organisations is accurately listed and kept up-to-date.The Government also publishes a consolidated dataset on arm’s-length bodies annually. The latest version can be found here and provides landscape data for 2024.

How many open (a) processes and (b) applications there are for the creation of new (i) arm’s-length bodies, (ii) Government Departments, (iii) agencies and (iv) public bodies.

On 6 April, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced a full review of all UK government arm’s length bodies, and proposals for new bodies, in order to return policy decisions to Ministers, reduce duplication and improve efficiency and transparency. The review is ongoing and outcomes will be announced in due course. Information about the creation of other types of public bodies is not held centrally. The decision to create or close Government Departments is the responsibility of the Prime Minister. There are no active processes underway to create or close any departments.

Representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will review the House's procurement frameworks to prioritise UK-manufactured goods and support domestic supply chains.

Parliament endeavours to purchase British goods and support domestic supply chains where it is possible and appropriate to do so.Parliament has procured its frameworks in accordance with applicable law, and has no imminent plans to review those frameworks. Under current legislation and guidance, specifying the origin of goods or services is only permitted if it is necessary to do so in order for our requirements to be understood. The legislation expressly provides that any requirement specifying the origin must allow for equivalents where these exist.

Representing the House of Commons Commission, from which countries the House of Commons sources the paper for its (a) official headed stationery and (b) other printed parliamentary materials.

Official headed stationery is sourced from the following locations:for letterheaded paper, the Papago cream paper is sourced from France and the Conqueror cream wove paper is sourced from Italy.paper for manilla envelopes is sourced and manufactured in Germany.plastic for the poly mailers is sourced and manufactured in Poland.cream paper for the standard envelopes is sourced from Sweden.white paper for the white envelopes is sourced and manufactured in Poland.All overprinting of paper envelopes is carried out in the UK, including embossing and phosphor band print. Overprinting of letterheaded paper is carried out in the UK.Business papers (the Order Paper, bills etc) are printed on paper which has been manufactured in Germany and France. These are bought through a UK-based paper merchant.Under current legislation and guidance, specifying the origin of goods or services is only permitted if it is necessary to do so in order for our requirements to be understood. The legislation expressly provides that any requirement specifying the origin must allow for equivalents where these exist. Parliament endeavours to purchase British goods and support domestic supply chains where it is possible and appropriate to do so.

Representing the House of Commons Commission, what guidance the House has issued to encourage the procurement of British-made (a) office products and (b) stationery by (i) Members and (ii) their staff.

Under current legislation and guidance, specifying the origin of goods or services is only permitted if it is necessary to do so in order for the requirements to be understood. The legislation expressly provides that any requirement specifying the origin must allow for equivalents where these exist. In respect of Members and their Staff it is a decision for each individual Member and their office to determine how they use their budget to purchase office products and stationery in accordance with IPSA guidelines.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of topical steroid creams on (a) physical dependency and (b) withdrawal effects among users.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reviewed topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) reactions, and first communicated about these reactions in September 2021 through our Drug Safety Update, which is widely disseminated among health care professionals. This communication is available at the following link:www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/topical-corticosteroids-information-on-the-risk-of-topical-steroid-withdrawal-reactions.The MHRA has continued to monitor reports of TSW and undertook an additional review in 2024, which can be found at the following link:www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/topical-steroids-introduction-of-new-labelling-and-a-reminder-of-the-possibility-of-severe-side-effects-including-topical-steroid-withdrawal-reactions.During this review, further advice was sought from dermatologists, the National Eczema Society, and the Commission on Human Medicines. Consequently, the MHRA took forward a number of actions, including ensuring that there are updated warnings in the product information that is supplied with the creams, and the inclusion of information regarding the potency of topical steroids on the packaging. The British National Formulary (BNF) has updated their topical steroids potency information in line with the outcomes of the MHRA’s review. The BNF’s treatment summary for topical corticosteroids is available at the following link:https://bnf.nice.org.uk/treatment-summaries/topical-corticosteroids/Furthermore, the MHRA engaged with the British Association of Dermatologists who have released an updated statement that is available at the following link:https://cdn.bad.org.uk/uploads/2024/02/22095550/Topical-Steroid-Withdrawal-Joint-Statement.pdfFollowing these discussions, the British Association of Dermatologists has formed a Topical Steroid Withdrawal Working Party Group (TSW WP) in collaboration with National Eczema Society, Scratch That, the Primary Care Dermatology Society, and the British Dermatological Nursing Group. The objective of the TSW WPG is to develop expert consensus guidance on supporting people with concerns about TSW, including a Patient Information Leaflet, and any revision to the above joint statement, as appropriate. Further information on the TSW Working Party Group is available at the following link:https://www.bad.org.uk/topical-steroid-withdrawal-joint-statement/

With reference to the Minister for Rail's letter to the hon. Member for Weald of Kent on rail, dated 14 April 2025, which hon. Members were invited to meet with the Minister for Rail to discuss the Kent and Medway Economic Partnership’s priorities for local rail.

A number of Kent MPs have made representations to the Department over the last twelve months regarding international rail services serving Kent stations. As a result of the representations received prior to March this year, the Rail Minister agreed to meet with a delegation of MPs that had requested a meeting to discuss this issue. I am not aware that the Department has received a request from the hon. Member to discuss this topic, but the Rail Minister would be very happy to do so.

With reference to the Minister for Rail's letter to the hon. Member for Weald of Kent on rail, dated 14 April 2025, whether (a) the Minister for Rail and (b) officials in her Department had met with the Kent and Medway Economic Partnership before 14 April 2025 to discuss their public interest case for rail investment.

DfT officials met with Kent and Medway Economic Partnership (KMEP) representatives on 10 October to discuss the issue of international rail services serving Kent stations. Following this, DfT officials have maintained a dialogue with KMEP, including providing feedback on their public interest case.

With reference to the Minister for Rail's letter to the hon. Member for Weald of Kent on rail, dated 14 April 2025, on what basis the Minister for Rail selected attendees for the recent meeting between hon. Members and the Kent and Medway Economic Partnership; and whether she considered inviting the hon. Member for Weald of Kent.

A number of Kent MPs have made representations to the Department over the last twelve months regarding international rail services serving Kent stations. As a result of the representations received prior to March this year, the Rail Minister agreed to meet with a delegation of MPs that had requested a meeting to discuss this issue. I am not aware that the Department has received a request from the hon. Member to discuss this topic, but the Rail Minister would be very happy to do so.

What assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of (a) households that entered fuel poverty and (b) excess winter deaths in 2024/25 following changes to the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment.

In the latest annual fuel poverty statistics published in March 2025, it is estimated that changes to Winter Fuel Payment eligibility did not affect the rate of fuel poverty in England in 2024, as measured by the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) metric- Annual fuel poverty statistics report: 2025 - GOV.UK. The next annual fuel poverty stats will be published in Spring 2026. A very wide range of factors impact changes in mortality. Details of excess winter deaths in England and Wales can be found at: Excess mortality in England - GOV.UK

When he plans to publish the 10 Year Plan for the NHS.

Our 10 Year Health Plan will make the NHS fit for the future with three key shifts: hospital to community, analogue to digital, and treatment to prevention.It will deliver the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change and will be published shortly.

Representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2025 to Question 47116 on Church of England: Slavery, when the Church Commissioners plan to submit an application to authorise an ex-gratia payment for Project Spire under section 106 of the Charities Act 2011.

The timing and discussion of when to apply to the Charity Commission to make an ex gratia payment application, under section 106 of the Charities Act 2011, are matters for the Board of Governors of the Church Commissioners. The Board has not yet decided on the timing of any application to the Charity Commission.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the UK’s exit from the EU on levels of VAT for (a) repairs and (b) maintenance payments for places of worship.

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £180.4 billion in 2025/26. Taxation is a vital source of revenue that helps to fund vital public services.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport administers the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. This provides grants towards VAT paid on repairs and maintenance to the nation's listed places of worship.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in (a) employer National Insurance contributions and (b) the National Minimum Wage on small and medium businesses in (a) Kent and (b) Weald of Kent constituency.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs). The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy, including the impact on businesses and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-the-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-secondary-threshold-the-secondary-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-rate-and-the-empl/changes-to-the-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-secondary-threshold-the-secondary-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-rate-and-the-empl The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from these changes by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change. The Impact Assessment for the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates was published alongside the minimum wage legislation and can be found here: The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2025 - Impact Assessment. DBT estimated that 460,000-500,000 workers would benefit from the 2025 NLW and NMW increases in the hospitality sector. DBT also estimated that the total costs to businesses would be: £397m for micro-businesses, £499m for small businesses, and £354m for medium businesses.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in (a) employer National Insurance contributions and (b) the National Minimum Wage on hospitality businesses in (a) Kent and (b) Weald of Kent constituency.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs). The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy, including the impact on businesses and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-the-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-secondary-threshold-the-secondary-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-rate-and-the-empl/changes-to-the-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-secondary-threshold-the-secondary-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-rate-and-the-empl The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from these changes by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change. The Impact Assessment for the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates was published alongside the minimum wage legislation and can be found here: The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2025 - Impact Assessment. DBT estimated that 460,000-500,000 workers would benefit from the 2025 NLW and NMW increases in the hospitality sector. DBT also estimated that the total costs to businesses would be: £397m for micro-businesses, £499m for small businesses, and £354m for medium businesses.

What estimate his Department has made of what the median increase in gas bills will be in (a) England and (b) Kent between the 2024-25 and 2025-26 financial years.

Ofgem publishes price cap levels on its website. The information is available here:Energy price cap (default tariff) levels | Ofgem.

How many civil servants in the Solar Taskforce will be responsible for ensuring ethical relationships with Chinese companies.

The Solar Taskforce, which has now concluded its work, brought together government and industry stakeholders to identify the actions needed to accelerate the deployment of solar energy by 2030, which will be outlined in the forthcoming Solar Roadmap. Following this, we will establish a new Solar Council to monitor the delivery of the Roadmap’s recommendations, including on the critical issue of ethical supply chains and procurement. DESNZ officials will continue to provide secretariat and advisory support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department's policy is on the impact of international court rulings on the UK's sovereignty over (a) Gibraltar, (b) the Falkland Islands, (c) RAF Akrotiri and Dhekelia and (d) other overseas territories.

There have not been any rulings from international courts on the UK's sovereignty over Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia or any other Overseas Territories. The circumstances around the Diego Garcia Military Base Agreement are unique with absolutely no bearing on the wider Overseas Territories. It is a very different issue with a very different history. We remain committed to our Overseas Territories family. Sovereignty of other Overseas Territories is not up for negotiation.