Written questions by Anderson.

What steps his Department has taken to help tackle shortages of Creon.

The 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.

With reference to the Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber ruling UI-2024-005295 & Ors, whether the appellants will be (a) granted indefinite leave to remain and (b) eligible for citizenship.

No Palestinians have been granted permission to stay in the UK under the Ukrainian Family Scheme. The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of people that may be eligible to settle in the UK whose cases are being assessed by UK courts.

It is not possible to make any such estimate as we cannot predict the outcome of a legal case.The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost. Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2025 to Question 29494 on Social Security Benefits: Fraud, if she will make it her policy to (a) record and (b) publish annually the number of benefit fraud investigations which result in benefits being revoked.

The Department is not currently considering changing the data we record or publish about the outcomes of fraud investigations. We are confident that the data we collect and publish in the Annual Reports and Accounts is comprehensive and proportionate – this can be found at the link here: DWP annual report and accounts.

With reference to the Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber ruling UI-2024-005295 & Ors, whether the appellants will be entitled to the same access to public funds as people granted permission to stay under the Ukraine Family Scheme.

No Palestinians have been granted permission to stay in the UK under the Ukrainian Family Scheme. The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Whether Palestinians granted permission to stay in the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme will be eligible for indefinite leave to remain.

No Palestinians have been granted permission to stay in the UK under the Ukrainian Family Scheme. The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

With reference to the Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber ruling UI-2024-005295 & Ors, whether foreign nationals of any nationality with a family member residing in the UK have the right to settle in the UK.

No Palestinians have been granted permission to stay in the UK under the Ukrainian Family Scheme. The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

What support her Department is providing to fire and rescue services, in the context of levels of increases in central funding.

Overall, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.87 billion in 2024/25. Decisions on how their resources are best deployed to meet their core functions are a matter for each fire and rescue authority based on its analysis of risk and local circumstances.The Home Office will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services can protect local communities.

Communities and Local Government, whether public funds will be made available to Palestinians granted the right to settle in the UK via the Local Authorities Housing Fund.

Palestinians are not directly accommodated under the Local Authority Housing Fund. They can, however, seek advice from their local authority if they need support with housing, who will assess what homelessness duties are owed, based on the circumstances of the household.

What information her Department holds on the average processing time for Disclosure and Barring Service checks conducted through Hampshire Police.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is operationally independent from the Home Office.Accordingly, the Home Office does not hold the information requested on the average processing time for DBS checks conducted through Hampshire Police.

What support his Department is providing to help increase the number of GP appointments in Ashfield.

We recognise that patients are finding it difficult to see a general practitioner (GP), and we are committed to fixing the front door to the National Health Service.We are investing an additional £889 million in general practice to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade. The changes to the contract will improve services for patients and make progress towards the Government’s health mission, supporting the three key shifts the Government wants to achieve, namely from analogue to digital, sickness to prevention, and from hospital to community care).In addition, in October 2024, we provided an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme enabling the recruitment of 1,000 newly qualified GPs across England. This will increase the number of appointments delivered in general practice, which will benefit thousands of patients that are struggling to get the care they need.

How many cases relating to unsuccessful applications to the Ukraine Family Scheme are (a) awaiting hearing and (b) ongoing in (i) Crown and (ii) magistrates courts.

There is no right of appeal or administrative review against decisions on Ukraine Family Scheme applications.Immigration appeals are not heard in Crown or Magistrates' Courts

What steps his Department is taking to improve the diagnosis rate of Postural Tachycardia Syndrome.

Improving health outcomes for people who live with long-term conditions, including postural tachycardia syndrome, is a key part of the Government's mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) publishes guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of long-term conditions for use by healthcare professionals and commissioners. The NICE has produced a clinical knowledge summary on the clinical management of blackouts and syncope, which sets out how clinicians should assess and diagnose postural tachycardia syndrome. This was last updated in November 2023, and is available at the following link: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/blackouts-syncope/diagnosis/assessment/. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the needs of their population, and the Government expects ICBs to take account of NICE guidelines and other best practice when designing their local services.

If he will provide additional funding for research into Postural Tachycardia Syndrome

The Department funds health and care research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR funds clinical, public health, and social care research and works in partnership with the National Health Service, universities, local government, other research funders, patients, and the public. The NIHR welcomes proposals for research into a range of conditions, including postural tachycardia syndrome, with further information available at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/suggest-a-research-topic.

How many arrests of illegal workers have resulted in deportation to their country of origin in the last six months.

The Home Office publishes data on returns in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’, which can be found here: Immigration system statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK (opens in a new tab). This does not include a separate category for individuals arrested for illegal working, and that could only be collated and verified for the purposes of this answering question at disproportionate cost.

What steps he is taking to help increase access to dentists in areas with fewer dentists than the national average.

We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural and coastal areas. The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service 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 integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.The additional 700,000 appointments will be available across the country, with specific targets for each region. These targets are more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most. The methodology is set out in Annex A of a letter issued by NHS England to ICBs. The letter and Annex can be found here: NHS England » Arrangements for NHS urgent primary dental care during 2025/26 and confirmation of the closure of the New Patient Premium scheme” ICBs have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years. As of 10 February 2025, in England, 35 dentists have commenced in post and a further 33 dentists have been recruited but are yet to start in post. A further 249 posts are currently advertised.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to agricultural property relief on (a) the UK’s food security and (b) trends in the numbers of farms in the next five years.

The 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. The reforms are expected to result in up to 520 estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those also claiming business property relief, in 2026-27 paying more inheritance tax. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those that also claim for business property relief, will not pay any more tax as a result of the changes in 2026-27, based on the latest available data. Where inheritance tax is due, those liable for a charge can in most circumstances pay any liability on the relevant assets over 10 annual instalments, interest-free. The Government’s commitment to farmers and the vital role they play in feeding our nation remains steadfast. Food security is national security. That is why, despite the fiscal constraints, we have prioritised £5 billion for the farming budget over the next two years. This includes the largest ever amount of funding directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history, and £60m to support farmers with the impacts of extreme wet weather. At the Oxford Farming Conference in January 2025, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs set out the Government’s long-term vision to make farming more profitable and put more money in the pockets of British farmers. This includes a set of reforms such as using the Government’s purchasing power to buy British Food, planning reforms to speed up the delivery of farm buildings and other infrastructure which supports food production, and work to ensure supply chain fairness.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a national awareness campaign on prostate cancer.

NHS England run Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address the barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging body awareness to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point. The Department continues to advise patients to follow National Health Service guidance on signs and symptoms of several types of cancer, including prostate cancer. This advice is available publicly on the NHS.UK website, at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/

If his Department will take steps to prioritise buying medical devices from UK companies.

The United Kingdom’s medical technology (MedTech) sector is valuable for patients, the National Health Service, and the economy, creating high valued jobs across the country. This is why the Department published the MedTech Strategy and subsequent One Year On documents, setting out the advancements we are putting in place to drive improvements to the ecosystem.On 13 February 2025, the Government published its National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS), which sets out the priorities for public procurement, and maximises the impact of every pound spent. The NPPS is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-procurement-policy-statementThis will come into effect alongside the commencement of the Procurement Act 2023, on 24 February 2025. The Government is determined to ensure public money spent on public procurement annually delivers economic growth, supports small businesses, champions innovation, and creates good jobs and opportunities across the country.The act will create a simpler and more flexible, commercial system, and will more effectively open public procurement to new entrants such as UK small businesses and social enterprises, so that they can compete for and win more public contracts. The act also allows contracting authorities to reserve below threshold contracts for UK suppliers, as set out in Section 15 of a published guidance note for the act. The full guidance on below-threshold contracts is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-guidance-documents-define-phase/guidance-below-threshold-contracts-html

Communities and Local Government, for what reason she increased council tax referendum thresholds.

The government has confirmed it will maintain the previous government’s policy of a 3% core council tax principle and the 2% principle for the adult social care precept, in line with OBR forecast. In a limited number of cases the government has set bespoke referendum principles following requests for councils. These requests have been considered on a case-by-case basis. We have not agreed to all requests and no request has been agreed to in its entirety to reduce the impact on taxpayers. The ability to request additional increases already existed, but this government is being stricter to protect taxpayers from excessive rises. At its highest, the previous government allowed a council tax rise of 15% – this year no council will see an increase of higher than 10%, with five of the six councils seeing a lower increase. The government has agreed to provide these flexibilities, but it remains the responsibility of individual authorities to decide the level at which they set their council tax. We have been clear to all councils that they should take whatever steps locally they consider will help to protect the most vulnerable residents from the impact of any additional increase.