27 Feb 2025·Treasury·Answered
AskedIf she will make an estimate of the potential reduction in tax revenues from non-UK domiciled individuals leaving the UK.
ReplyThe Government’s priority is improving the UK’s competitiveness internationally and securing economic growth. The non-dom reforms have been specifically designed to make the UK competitive with a modern, simple tax regime that is also fair. The reforms establish a tax regime for new residents, which is more attractive to new arrivals than the current rules.The Government published a Tax Information and Impact Note for this policy on 30 October. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tax-changes-for-non-uk-domiciled-individuals/reforming-the-taxation-of-non-uk-domiciled-individuals.There have always been relatively large flows of non-doms in and out of the UK every year. For example. in the latest HMRC statistics for tax year 2022/23, 8,000 non-doms left and 13,000 arrived.We anticipate that some non-doms ineligible for the new regime will exit the UK in response to the changes. Taking this migration response into account, the OBR expects the non-dom reforms to raise £33.8 billion over the next five years to help fund the public services and investment projects needed to drive growth.
27 Feb 2025·Treasury·Answered
AskedIf she will make it her policy not to increase employee National Insurance contributions in the Spring Statement 2025.
ReplyThe OBR’s spring forecast will take place on 26th March and be accompanied by a statement to Parliament from the Chancellor.Ahead of the statement responding to the forecast, the Government will not give a running commentary on economic developments.The Government is committed to not increasing the basic, higher or additional rates of Income Tax, Employee National Insurance contributions or VAT.
27 Feb 2025·Treasury·Answered
AskedIf she will make it her policy not to implement a wealth tax on assets above a certain threshold in the Spring Statement 2025.
ReplyThe UK does not have a standalone wealth tax, though there are several long-standing taxes on assets and wealth that generate substantial revenue for the government.In addition to collecting substantial revenue from existing taxes on wealth and assets, the UK also has a progressive income tax system. The Government is committed to making sure the wealthiest in our society pay their fair share of tax. That is why the Chancellor announced a series of reforms at Autumn Budget 2024 to help fix the public finances in as fair a way as possible. These and other decisions announced at the Budget will help repair the public finances and fund public services such as the NHS and education.
27 Feb 2025·Treasury·Answered
AskedIf she will publish detailed impact assessments for future tax increases.
ReplyAs it does with all tax policy changes, the government has published Tax Information and Impact Notes for the tax policy changes announced at Budget, which give a clear explanation of the policy objective together with details of the tax impact on the Exchequer, the economy, individuals, businesses, civil society organisations and any equality or other specific area of impact.
27 Feb 2025·Treasury·Answered
AskedWhat steps she is taking to encourage high net wealth individuals to remain in the UK.
ReplyThe Government’s priority is improving the UK’s competitiveness internationally and securing economic growth. The non-dom reforms have been specifically designed to make the UK competitive with a modern, simple tax regime that is also fair. The reforms establish a tax regime for new residents, which is more attractive to new arrivals than the current rules.The Government published a Tax Information and Impact Note for this policy on 30 October. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tax-changes-for-non-uk-domiciled-individuals/reforming-the-taxation-of-non-uk-domiciled-individuals.There have always been relatively large flows of non-doms in and out of the UK every year. For example. in the latest HMRC statistics for tax year 2022/23, 8,000 non-doms left and 13,000 arrived.We anticipate that some non-doms ineligible for the new regime will exit the UK in response to the changes. Taking this migration response into account, the OBR expects the non-dom reforms to raise £33.8 billion over the next five years to help fund the public services and investment projects needed to drive growth.
27 Feb 2025·Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs·Answered
AskedFood and Rural Affairs, whether he has had correspondence with councils planning on reducing the frequency of bin collections.
ReplyThrough Simpler Recycling, all householders will receive a comprehensive and consistent set of waste and recycling services. This will enable householders to recycle as much waste as possible and to frequently dispose of bad-smelling food waste, which will be collected from all households at least weekly. Defra recognises that as recycling services are expanded and improved, local authorities may want to review residual waste services to ensure they are providing best value for money in line with local need. The government’s priority is ensuring that households’ needs are met, and we expect local authorities to continue to provide services to a reasonable standard, as they do now. Building on existing and new legal duties, Defra recently published guidance to ensure that local authorities consider certain factors when they review services, to ensure that reasonable standards are maintained. Defra wrote to all English local authorities when this guidance was published.
25 Feb 2025·Ministry of Justice·Answered
AskedIf she will make an estimate of the number of convicted paedophiles that upon the end of their sentence have lived within one mile of a school or park in each of the last five years.
ReplyThe decision as to where to permit a convicted child sex offender to live whilst subject to licensed supervision is made by the Probation and Probation Services working together under MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements).Additionally, offenders subject to licensed supervision may be prohibited from entering specified geographical locations (exclusion zones) on account of the particular risks which those offenders present. A child sex offender might, for example, be prohibited from entering a specified area around a school or nursery. Exclusion zones may be reinforced in certain cases by satellite tracking, to ensure that any offender who enters an exclusion zone without permission faces being recalled immediately to custody.The data required to answer PQs 33564 and 33565 are not collated centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
25 Feb 2025·Ministry of Justice·Answered
AskedWhether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a ban on convicted paedophiles living within a five-mile radius of a school of park.
ReplyThe decision as to where to permit a convicted child sex offender to live whilst subject to licensed supervision is made by the Probation and Probation Services working together under MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements).Additionally, offenders subject to licensed supervision may be prohibited from entering specified geographical locations (exclusion zones) on account of the particular risks which those offenders present. A child sex offender might, for example, be prohibited from entering a specified area around a school or nursery. Exclusion zones may be reinforced in certain cases by satellite tracking, to ensure that any offender who enters an exclusion zone without permission faces being recalled immediately to custody.The data required to answer PQs 33564 and 33565 are not collated centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
25 Feb 2025·Ministry of Justice·Answered
AskedIf she will make an estimate of the number of convicted paedophiles that upon the end of their sentence have lived within five miles of a school or park in each of the last five years.
ReplyThe decision as to where to permit a convicted child sex offender to live whilst subject to licensed supervision is made by the Probation and Probation Services working together under MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements).Additionally, offenders subject to licensed supervision may be prohibited from entering specified geographical locations (exclusion zones) on account of the particular risks which those offenders present. A child sex offender might, for example, be prohibited from entering a specified area around a school or nursery. Exclusion zones may be reinforced in certain cases by satellite tracking, to ensure that any offender who enters an exclusion zone without permission faces being recalled immediately to custody.The data required to answer PQs 33564 and 33565 are not collated centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
25 Feb 2025·Ministry of Justice·Answered
AskedWhether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) reviewing and (b) changing the probation guidelines to prevent convicted paedophiles from living within a certain perimeter of a school or park.
ReplyThe decision as to where to permit a convicted child sex offender to live whilst subject to licensed supervision is made by the Probation and Probation Services working together under MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements).Additionally, offenders subject to licensed supervision may be prohibited from entering specified geographical locations (exclusion zones) on account of the particular risks which those offenders present. A child sex offender might, for example, be prohibited from entering a specified area around a school or nursery. Exclusion zones may be reinforced in certain cases by satellite tracking, to ensure that any offender who enters an exclusion zone without permission faces being recalled immediately to custody.The data required to answer PQs 33564 and 33565 are not collated centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
24 Feb 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat steps his Department has taken to increase the number of appointments for people displaying signs of endometriosis.
ReplyPatients have been let down for too long whilst they wait for the care they need. As set out in the Plan for Change, we have committed to return to the National Health Service’s constitutional standard that 92% of patients, including those waiting for endometriosis treatment, wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment (RTT) by March 2029. We provided additional investment in the Autumn Budget that has enabled us to deliver an additional two million appointments as a First Step to achieving this, seven months ahead of schedule.The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts we will undertake to return to the 18-week standard and ensure patients have the best possible experience while they wait. This includes innovative models that offer care closer to home and in the community, and the piloting of gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres for patients with post-menopausal bleeding. We have also committed to increasing the relative funding available to support gynaecology procedures with the largest waiting lists, including for certain endometriosis pathways, and reviewing support options from the independent sector.
24 Feb 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat steps his Department is taking to shorten the diagnosis period for endometriosis.
ReplyThe Government is committed to prioritising women’s health and improving the diagnosis times for gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis. We have taken urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan. In gynaecology, the plan supports innovative models offering patients care closer to home, and piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres.Endometriosis is also included in the core curriculum for general practitioners, and for obstetricians and gynaecologists. The General Medical Council is introducing the Medical Licensing Assessment for most incoming doctors, including all medical students graduating from academic year 2024/25 and onwards. Within this assessment are several topics relating to women’s health, including endometriosis. This will encourage a better understanding of endometriosis among doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom.Clinical guidelines support healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat conditions. In November 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published updated recommendations on the diagnosis, management and treatment of endometriosis. This is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng73
24 Feb 2025·Department for Culture, Media and Sport·Answered
AskedMedia and Sport, what additional support her Department is providing to churches, in the context of the decrease in funding for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.
ReplyAs well as the continuing Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, the Secretary of State has recently announced £15 million of additional funding for Heritage at Risk, building on Historic England's existing Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk programme.Alongside this, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has committed to investing around £100m between 2023 and 2026 to support places of worship, including churches.
24 Feb 2025·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
AskedCommonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the cost effectiveness of foreign aid.
ReplyWe work hard to ensure that our development assistance reaches those who need it most, where and when it is most effective, delivering value for money for the British taxpayer.To support effective programme delivery, the publicly available FCDO Programme Operating Framework sets out the mandatory rules and the principles, controls, roles, and responsibilities for programme teams. We ensure delivery represents value for money by measuring and assessing programmes throughout their lifecycle and will work with the Independent Commission for Aid Impact to apply the highest standard to our Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend, including robust measures of development effectiveness.
24 Feb 2025·Home Office·Answered
AskedWhat assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposals to move the Chinese Embassy to the former Royal Mint building on security.
ReplyAs set out in a joint letter by the Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary to the Planning Inspector on 14 January, the Home Office has considered the breadth of national security issues in relation to the planning application.It would not be appropriate to comment in further detail on specific matters relating to national security.
24 Feb 2025·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
AskedCommonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of halving the foreign aid budget.
ReplyOn Tuesday 25 February, Prime Minister announced that we will increase defence spending to 2.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2027; the security of the UK is the first duty of government.Doing so demands the difficult but necessary decision to reduce our Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending from 0.5% to 0.3% of Gross National Income (GNI).While we will of course face tough choices resulting from the reduced ODA available, this government remains fully committed to a globally significant role on development. It is both in our national interest and in the interest of our partners across the globe.The prime minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security, and official development assistance. Specific allocations will be worked through as part of the ongoing spending review on the basis of various factors including impact assessments.
21 Feb 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat steps his Department taking to improve access to dentistry care in Nottinghamshire.
ReplyIn the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), in the 24 months to June 2024, 42% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist, compared to 40% in England. In the 12 months to June 2024, 60% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the ICB, compared to 56% nationally.The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the ICBs across England. For the Ashfield constituency, this is the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB.
21 Feb 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat discussions his Department has had with the NHS on lower rates of (a) adults and (b) children having seen a dentist in Nottinghamshire in the last two years than the equivalent average rates for England, as of March 2024.
ReplyIn the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), in the 24 months to June 2024, 42% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist, compared to 40% in England. In the 12 months to June 2024, 60% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the ICB, compared to 56% nationally.The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the ICBs across England. For the Ashfield constituency, this is the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB.
21 Feb 2025·Treasury·Answered
AskedIf she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing changes to the Agricultural Property Relief threshold.
ReplyThe Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and fixing the public finances in a fair way. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992.
21 Feb 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat recent discussions officials in his Department have had with the manufacturers of Creon.
ReplyThe Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within local areas is not held centrally.The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to boost production and mitigate the supply issue. Suppliers have managed to secure additional pharmaceutical ingredients resulting in expected increased volumes of PERT for 2025. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the gap in the market. In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to prescribe unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure that local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a webpage to include the latest updates on PERT availability and easily accessible advice on the prescribing and ordering of alternative PERT products.