Written questions by McCarthy.

What steps he is taking to ensure adequate access to free immigration advice in (a) Bristol and (b) the South West.

We are committed to making sure timely advice is there for those who need it, and this sits right at the heart of our vision for a better, more effective justice system.We have confirmed we will be uplifting housing and immigration legal aid fees. This represents a significant investment – the first since 1996 – resulting in an increase of £20 million a year once fully implemented.We are also supporting the sector through targeted grants. The Government is funding the costs of accreditation for immigration and asylum caseworkers, providing up to £1.4 million in 2024 and a further £1.7 million in 2025.The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is responsible for commissioning legal aid services, and it monitors the numbers of providers in each procurement area and across all categories of law. It takes operational action where it can, to respond to market pressures that may arise and works closely with the Ministry of Justice on policy solutions concerning the supply of legal aid.In response to challenges around the supply of legal aid providers in the south-west, the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) put in place a list of immigration providers in England and Wales who are willing and able to provide immigration advice to individuals from the Southwest who are unable to find a local provider. This list remains in force and is regularly updated and provided to individuals that call the Civil Legal Aid advice line, as well as being published/accessible on the LAA’s website.Beyond legal aid, the Ministry of Justice is funding the delivery of wider legal support services, which provide advice and support to people facing social welfare legal problems, including immigration issues. In 2025-26 we are providing over £6 million of grant funding to 60 frontline organisations to improve access to legal support and information, both in person and online, to help people resolve their problems as early as possible. This includes funding for organisations such as some regional Citizens Advice, Law Centres (including Bristol Law Centre), Asylum Support Appeals Project, Devon and Cornwall Refugee Support, as well as AdviceNow, which provides online support on their website across a range of civil, family and tribunal problems.

What steps his Department has taken to help ensure that the Infected Blood Compensation Authority claims process is accessible to people whose historic NHS records are difficult to locate.

Given the historic nature of the infected blood scandal, the Government recognises that not all medical records will still be available. The Compensation Scheme has been designed to minimise as far as possible the burden on those applying, and eligibility for compensation will be determined based on the balance of probabilities. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority will provide assistance to those who believe their medical records have been lost or destroyed. The role of IBCA’s claim managers includes helping individuals who are claiming to gather information, including medical evidence where available, to support their claim.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 78048 on General Practitioners: Recruitment, whether he plans to recruit more experienced GPs whose Certificate of Completion of Training Date was more than two years ago.

As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, it is for general practices (GPs) to determine how they run their operations, including recruitment decisions.We are investing an additional £1.1 billion into GPs to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest cash increase in over a decade and will facilitate the recruitment of GPs. The 8.9% boost to the GP Contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole.In my previous response to Question 78048, I discussed the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), which has now recruited over 2,500 GPs since being introduced in October 2024, and which was brought in as a targeted response to the risk of new GP unemployment. Every year we consult with the profession about what services GPs provide, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contract, taking account of the cost of delivering services. This includes reviewing the terms of various schemes such as the ARRS.

When he plans to publish his response to the Grocery Code Adjudicator statutory review, which closed on 5 August 2025.

The fourth statutory review of the effectiveness of the GCA covers the period from 31 March 2022 – 1 April 2025. The review commenced on 1 April 2025 and a consultation to gather stakeholder views and evidence closed 5 August. The government is currently analysing responses to the consultation, alongside other publicly available evidence, and will publish a report on the findings of the review as soon as practicable..

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of adding specific information on Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy to (a) guidance and (b) training for PIP assessors.

Personal Independence Payment assessments assess the functional impact of a claimant’s health condition or impairment on their ability to carry out daily living activities, and to understand how a condition affects day-to-day functioning. All health professionals (HPs) conducting these assessments are trained specialists in disability analysis and receive comprehensive training on assessing the effects of both physical and mental health conditions. Given the wide range of health conditions, many of which are rare and present with varying degrees of functional impact, it is not feasible to provide specific training on every individual condition. The Orphanet directory, for example, lists over 23,000 rare diseases. While there is no condition-specific training on Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), HPs have access to a broad suite of Core Training and Guidance Materials. These include Condition Insight Reports and Continuing Professional Development guides, which provide detailed, quality-assured information on symptoms commonly associated with CADASIL, such as migraines and strokes.

What discussions he has had with NHS England on the adequacy of the information available on the NHS website on cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy.

There are over 7,000 rare diseases often needing highly specialised input, and so the National Health Service’s website is not always the most appropriate platform to disseminate such information. Working under the UK Rare Diseases Framework, the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with conditions such as cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy. Information to support healthcare professions with the diagnosis and care of this condition is provided in the NHS England Genomics Education Programme’s Knowledge Hub.

What steps he is taking to recruit more experienced GPs whose Certificate of Completion of Training date was more than two years ago.

We hugely value and appreciate the work that all general practitioners (GPs) do and recognise that it is vital for their roles to be satisfying, rewarding, and sustainable so that our GPs continue to contribute throughout their career.The Government committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified GPs, with a Certificate of Completion of Training dated under two years ago, in primary care networks (PCNs) through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to secure the future pipeline of GPs, with over 1,000 doctors otherwise likely to have graduated into unemployment in 2024/25. Funding has been continued into 2025/26 with greater flexibilities also introduced to the scheme to allow PCNs to respond better to local workforce needs. Data on the number of recently qualified general practitioners for which PCNs are claiming reimbursement via the ARRS show that since 1 October 2024, over 2000 recently qualified GPs were recruited through the scheme.The ARRS is subject to annual review as part of the consultation on the GP contract with professional and patient representatives. NHS England works closely with the Department to implement any changes identified as part of this process. To build capacity in the GP workforce and reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, we have invested an additional £1.1 billion in GPs, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26, the biggest increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP Contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole.

Whether the Curriculum and assessment review will include measures to support play-based learning for primary school aged children.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review will be informed by evidence, data and input from experts, stakeholders and the public, including over 7,000 responses to the call for evidence, and a range of research and polling.The Review’s interim report demonstrates a continued support for a high quality, knowledge-rich curriculum that drives excellence in education across a broad range of subjects and pathways.The Review set out that it would consider whether there is sufficient coverage of knowledge and skills that are essential to prepare children and young people for future life and to thrive in a fast-changing world.The Curriculum and Assessment Review is independent and ongoing. The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in autumn, at which point the government will respond.The government is working with education experts, teachers, and parents to ensure the very best for children.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the eligibility for the Childcare Grant to include PhD students in receipt of stipends.

The government introduced new support packages for students starting postgraduate master’s degree courses from the 2016/17 academic year onwards and postgraduate doctoral degree courses from 2018/19 onwards. These loans are not based on income and are intended as a contribution to the cost of study. They can be used by students according to their personal circumstances to cover the costs of fees and living costs, including childcare. These support packages have provided a significant uplift in support for postgraduate students while ensuring the student support system remains financially sustainable.However, a student would not be eligible for a doctoral loan if they are in receipt of stipends.Postgraduate students are eligible for a different package of support to undergraduate students to help with course fees and living costs, including childcare. These students are therefore not eligible to receive the childcare grant.