Written questions by Johnson.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of waiting times for children’s community health services; and what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for those services.

Community health services are an essential building block in developing a neighbourhood health service, working closely with primary care, social care, and other community services to provide more care in the community to spot problems early.We are committed to reducing long waits and improving timely access to community health services, including for children’s services. We are working closely with NHS England to improve access to community health services and on actions to reduce waiting times for these services.NHS England continues to monitor community services waiting times via the Community Health Services (CHS) SitRep data collection which collects monthly data on waiting lists and waiting times for community health services, to assess the number of people on them and the length of time they wait for services. Data is published monthly, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/community-health-services-waiting-lists/A metric on waits of over 52 weeks for CHS is included in the 2025/26 National Oversight Framework, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-oversight-framework-2025-26/As part of our work to improve access to children’s CHS, NHS England commissioned NHS Benchmarking to undertake an analysis of provider data on Community Paediatrics to develop a detailed understanding of activity and the opportunities for improvement and transformation. The report is available at the following link:https://www.nhsbenchmarking.nhs.uk/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-community-services

Whether his Department plans to introduce a maximum waiting time target for children’s community health services.

Community health services are an essential building block in developing a neighbourhood health service, working closely with primary care, social care, and other community services to provide more care in the community to spot problems early.We are committed to reducing long waits and improving timely access to community health services, including for children’s services. We are working closely with NHS England to improve access to community health services and on actions to reduce waiting times for these services.NHS England continues to monitor community services waiting times via the Community Health Services (CHS) SitRep data collection which collects monthly data on waiting lists and waiting times for community health services, to assess the number of people on them and the length of time they wait for services. Data is published monthly, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/community-health-services-waiting-lists/A metric on waits of over 52 weeks for CHS is included in the 2025/26 National Oversight Framework, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-oversight-framework-2025-26/As part of our work to improve access to children’s CHS, NHS England commissioned NHS Benchmarking to undertake an analysis of provider data on Community Paediatrics to develop a detailed understanding of activity and the opportunities for improvement and transformation. The report is available at the following link:https://www.nhsbenchmarking.nhs.uk/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-community-services

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the workforce capacity in children’s community health services.

We are committed to reducing long waits and improving timely access to community health services, including for children’s community services. We are working closely with NHS England to improve access to community health services and on actions to reduce waiting times for these services.NHS England continues to monitor community service waiting times via the Community Health Services SitRep data collection, to assess the number of people on them and the length of time they wait for services. Data is published monthly and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/community-health-services-waiting-lists/The National Health Service has also published an overview of the core community health services that integrated care boards, service providers, and their partners should consider when planning services for their local population, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/standardising-community-health-services/

What consideration he has given to the role of post offices in (a) onboarding and (b) supporting people who suffer from (i) identity and (ii) digital exclusion during the roll out of the digital identity scheme.

The new digital ID will be designed to be inclusive. We will launch a public consultation and have already started to engage with a range of expert organisations and community groups. We will deliver a comprehensive inclusion programme to ensure everyone eligible is able to access this new digital ID and benefit from it. We are considering options like a digitally enabled physical alternative for those without access to technology, as well as in-person onboarding support for those who struggle to engage digitally, such as post offices, and a dedicated case working function for those who may struggle to initially prove their identity and access the system.

How much funding has been allocated to Integrated Care Boards to support the delivery of children’s community health services in each of the last three years.

Children’s community health services are part of integrated care board (ICB) core commissioning responsibilities. ICBs are given a non-ring-fenced allocation from which to commission services to meet these responsibilities and therefore there is no separate allocation.

With reference to her oral contribution during the Second Reading of the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill, Official Report, column 997, what recent progress his Department has made on the review of the data that his Department holds on disparities in the justice system; when he plans to complete the review; and whether he plans to take further steps to assess (a) the underlying causes and (b) effectiveness of policy on disparities in the justice system.

The previous Lord Chancellor commissioned a review of the latest data on sentencing disparities and its causes. I will provide more information on this in due course.

Whether her Department plans to make changes to the eligibility criteria for indefinite leave to remain for people who have had continuous residence in the UK for 10 years.

We will be consulting on the new settlement rules later this year. Following that, we will provide details of how this initiative will work, including on any transitional arrangements for people already in the UK.

How many (a) unallocated cases and queries, (b) cases and queries allocated but not yet in progress and (c) cases and queries in progress but not yet completed being dealt with by the Civil Service Pension Scheme administrator, MyCSP Ltd. were still in progress as of 1October 2025.

MyCSP; the Civil Service pension scheme administrator, does not record the data in the format requested. It reports to the Cabinet Office on a monthly basis. 85,503 new work items were received for the month of September. A work item reflects an individual piece of work or task. There are 67,540 outstanding items - 13,783 cases awaiting a response and 53,757 items assigned for work to be completed. The outstanding volumes are in line with what we would expect to see based on the differing clearance targets for certain tasks, such as retirements which can take up to 4 months to process. This is what the Cabinet Office expects to see and monitors on a monthly basis. The Cabinet Office continues to emphasise to MyCSP the importance of meeting contractual performance levels and improving member experience.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with her international partners to help support humanitarian access to Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo.

We were concerned by the recent escalation of violence in the Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods in Aleppo on 6 October and welcomed the swift ceasefire agreement reached between the Syrian Democratic Forces and Syrian Government. It is vital that both sides continue to engage in negotiations to reach a sustainable political settlement. The UK Representative for Syria regularly engages with both parties in support of an inclusive political process and the implementation of the deal agreed in March.We continue to monitor the humanitarian situation closely. Reports from partners indicate no major access constraints impeding delivery of humanitarian assistance. The UK will provide up to £254.5 million of humanitarian support to Syria and the region in 2025.Protecting the safety and security of the UK and its citizens remains first duty of this Government, and we will continue to work with relevant authorities in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere to pursue our Counter-Terror objectives and keep our country safe.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with (a) representatives of the Syrian Democratic Forces and (b) other local partners on measures to protect civilians in Kurdish-majority areas of northern Syria from further attacks.

We were concerned by the recent escalation of violence in the Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods in Aleppo on 6 October and welcomed the swift ceasefire agreement reached between the Syrian Democratic Forces and Syrian Government. It is vital that both sides continue to engage in negotiations to reach a sustainable political settlement. The UK Representative for Syria regularly engages with both parties in support of an inclusive political process and the implementation of the deal agreed in March.We continue to monitor the humanitarian situation closely. Reports from partners indicate no major access constraints impeding delivery of humanitarian assistance. The UK will provide up to £254.5 million of humanitarian support to Syria and the region in 2025.Protecting the safety and security of the UK and its citizens remains first duty of this Government, and we will continue to work with relevant authorities in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere to pursue our Counter-Terror objectives and keep our country safe.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent attacks on Kurdish-majority areas on (a) the long-term stability of regions formerly liberated from ISIS with the support of the Syrian Democratic Forces and (b) the UK’s ongoing counter-terrorism objectives in Syria and Iraq.

We were concerned by the recent escalation of violence in the Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods in Aleppo on 6 October and welcomed the swift ceasefire agreement reached between the Syrian Democratic Forces and Syrian Government. It is vital that both sides continue to engage in negotiations to reach a sustainable political settlement. The UK Representative for Syria regularly engages with both parties in support of an inclusive political process and the implementation of the deal agreed in March.We continue to monitor the humanitarian situation closely. Reports from partners indicate no major access constraints impeding delivery of humanitarian assistance. The UK will provide up to £254.5 million of humanitarian support to Syria and the region in 2025.Protecting the safety and security of the UK and its citizens remains first duty of this Government, and we will continue to work with relevant authorities in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere to pursue our Counter-Terror objectives and keep our country safe.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports that armed groups affiliated with the Syrian Interim Government have (a) carried out bombardments of and (b) caused civilian casualties in the Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo on 6 October 2025.

We were concerned by the recent escalation of violence in the Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods in Aleppo on 6 October and welcomed the swift ceasefire agreement reached between the Syrian Democratic Forces and Syrian Government. It is vital that both sides continue to engage in negotiations to reach a sustainable political settlement. The UK Representative for Syria regularly engages with both parties in support of an inclusive political process and the implementation of the deal agreed in March.We continue to monitor the humanitarian situation closely. Reports from partners indicate no major access constraints impeding delivery of humanitarian assistance. The UK will provide up to £254.5 million of humanitarian support to Syria and the region in 2025.Protecting the safety and security of the UK and its citizens remains first duty of this Government, and we will continue to work with relevant authorities in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere to pursue our Counter-Terror objectives and keep our country safe.

When she plans to respond to the Fourth Report of Session 2024-25 of the Education Committee, Children’s Social Care, published on 10 July 2025, HC 430; and whether she plans to accept the recommendation on the development of a national foster care strategy.

The department responded to the Fourth Report of the Session 2024-25 of the Education Committee, Children’s Social Care in September 2025. This includes our response to recommendation 29: ‘The Department for Education must put in place a national fostering strategy to complement the existing strategies for adoption and kinship care. As part of this, it should consult on introducing a national register of foster carers and review the financial support available to ensure that it is adequate to meet their needs.’Foster care is one of my top priorities as Minister for Children and Families, and we need to go further and faster with recruiting and retaining more carers. We are prioritising fostering in our reform of children’s social care, as demonstrated by the announcement of an additional £40 million investment over this financial year and the next two financial years. This will bring benefits to thousands of fostered children. We will set out more detail on our planned investments and reforms for fostering in due course.The Education Select Committee published the findings on 17 October 2025, the findings can be found here: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/49799/documents/266904/default/.

What steps his Department has taken to safeguard patient data under NHS contracts with (a) Palantir and (b) other private sector data collectors.

The National Health Service operates to the highest standards of data security, and all organisations have governance arrangements in place to ensure the safe, legal storage and use of data. The NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) is built with robust security and privacy controls to ensure that access to NHS data is tightly governed and independently auditable. All user activity within the FDP environment is logged for auditing purposes. These logs are actively monitored by both Palantir’s United Kingdom security team and the NHS Cyber Security Operations Centre, to detect and respond to any malicious activity. Security logs are encrypted at rest and in transit, and are stored on a secure Security Information and Event Management server which is accessible only to authorised personnel Access to data within the FDP is governed by strict controls, including the principle of least privilege and mandatory access control systems. Only authorised users are granted access for approved purposes, and all permissions are subject to audit and review. In addition to these technical safeguards, the FDP and associated services contract includes audit provisions that allow NHS England to validate and confirm that contractual requirements are being met. These rights of audit are standard within NHS commercial agreements and provide assurance that the platform operates in accordance with NHS England’s expectations and legal obligations. Further information on the FDP’s security and governance framework is available in the published contract documentation and supporting materials, a copy of which is attached.

With reference to her predecessor's oral contribution in response to the hon. Member for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green during the Oral Statement of 12 May 2025 on the Immigration System, Official Report, column 53, whether her Department has consulted civil society organisations that provide services to (a) migrants experiencing (i) poverty and (ii) destitution and (b) all migrants in the development of the proposed consultation on settlement and citizenship changes.

We will be consulting on the new settlement rules later this year. Following that, we will provide details of how this initiative will work, including on any transitional arrangements for people already in the UK.The citizenship proposals will be developed in line with the settlement ones and further details on the proposed citizenship scheme will be provided at a suitable stage.

If he will (a) review and (b) reconsider the contract between the NHS and Palantir for the Federated Data Platform, in the context of the (i) abolition of NHS England, (ii) opposition of the British Medical Association and (iii) comments of Peter Thiel on the NHS.

The provider of the Federated Data Platform (FDP) was identified through a rigorous, competitive procurement process in line with Government procurement legislation. The selection was made by multiple assessors against clear criteria following an open tender process where any supplier could respond with their solution. Potential suppliers were required to demonstrate their financial, commercial, security, and technical capability to meet contractual requirements. The contract for the FDP includes provisions to ensure transparency. This includes regular audit provisions that allow NHS England to validate and confirm that contractual requirements are being met. These rights of audit are standard within National Health Service commercial agreements and provide assurance that the platform operates in accordance with NHS England’s expectations and legal obligations. There is no plan to reconsider the contract.

How many care and support workers in England are paid the national living wage; and whether he plans to increase minimum pay for those workers.

Adult social care is a historically low paid sector. In 2024/25, 22% of care workers in the independent sector were paid the National Living Wage (NLW). The median hourly pay rate for care workers was £12.00 in March 2025, 56p higher than the NLW.We are committed to transforming adult social care and supporting adult social care workers, turning the page on decades of low pay and insecurity. That is why we plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce. Negotiations between employee and employer representatives will shape how this funding will be used to enhance pay, terms, and conditions.The Spending Review allows for over £4 billion in additional funding for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26. This includes other sources of income available to support adult social care, additional grant funding, and an increase in the National Health Service’s contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund. This £4 billion increase includes £500 million to begin implementing the Fair Pay Agreement in 2028/29.

If he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of Community Integrated Care's report entitled The Caring Economy – Unfair To Care 2025, published on 12 March 2025.

We appreciate the work undertaken and the findings presented in the Unfair to Care 2025 report. We are committed to supporting adult social care workers, turning the page on decades of low pay and insecurity. That is why we plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce.The Impact Assessment for the Employment Rights Bill, published in October 2024, provides an initial, indicative assessment of the impacts that could result from primary legislation. This represents the best estimate for the likely impacts of a Fair Pay Agreement given the current stage of policy development.The Spending Review 2025 allows for over £4 billion in additional funding available for ASC in 2028-29 compared to 2025-26. This includes other sources of income available to support adult social care, additional grant funding and an increase in the National Health Service’s contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund. This £4 billion increase includes £500 million to begin implementing the Fair Pay Agreement in 2028-29.

With reference to her predecessor's oral contribution in response to the hon. Member for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green during the Oral Statement of 12 May 2025 on the Immigration System, Official Report, column 53, whether her Department has consulted people with direct experience of the immigration system in the development of the proposed consultation on settlement and citizenship changes.

The Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper, sets out the government's plans to create an immigration system that promotes growth but is controlled and managed.We will be consulting on the new settlement rules later this year. Following that, we will provide details of how this initiative will work, including on any transitional arrangements for people already in the UK.The citizenship proposals will be developed in line with the settlement ones and further details on the proposed citizenship scheme will be provided at a suitable stage.

What the average income is of care and support workers; and if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of that income.

Adult social care is a historically low paid sector. In 2024/25, 22% of care workers in the independent sector were paid the National Living Wage (NLW). The median hourly pay rate for care workers was £12.00 in March 2025, 56p higher than the NLW. Some studies have found the median household income for residential care workers was lower than the national average.We aim to transform adult social care and support adult social care workers, turning the page on decades of low pay and insecurity. That is why we plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding.Fair Pay Agreements will empower worker representatives, employers and others to negotiate pay and terms and conditions in a responsible manner. This will help to address the recruitment and retention crisis in the sector; in turn supporting the delivery of high-quality care. Negotiations between employee and employer representatives will shape how this funding will be used to enhance pay, terms and conditions.