Written questions by Cocking.

Whether her Department holds data on (a) taxes paid and (b) the cost of public services used by migrants who have arrived in the UK within the last 10 years.

HMRC does not hold aggregate data on the taxes paid by migrants who have arrived in the UK within the last 10 years. HMRC does hold data on the nationality reported by individuals at the point of National Insurance number registration, for adult National Insurance number registrations. This data is used to produce statistics on UK payrolled employments by nationality, region, industry, age and sex. UK public spending covers a wide range of areas, including public services and infrastructure that are public goods. All groups in society benefit from these areas of public spending. In addition, some public provision is at a family or household level. It is therefore not possible to distinguish spending per person between migrant and non-migrants

What estimate she has made of the cost to the NHS of providing healthcare to (a) asylum seekers and (b) refugees in the last financial year.

The Department and NHS England do not hold the information requested.

If he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on the Neurology Transformation Programme.

NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme will be concluding at the end of this financial year. By this time, we will have delivered all of the products, tools, and best practice guidance to support integrated care boards and local pathfinders to transform neurology services at a local level. Expert clinical advice and support will continue to be available during 2026/27 to support local transformation.As we bring together the Department and NHS England to form a new joint centre, we will empower staff to focus on delivering better care for patients, including for people with neurological conditions, driving productivity up and getting waiting times down. By the end of the process, we estimate that these changes will save hundreds of millions of pounds a year, which will be reinvested in frontline services.We continue to take forward the Government’s ambitious reform agenda as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, which will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving neurological care for people in all parts of the country. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all support people to manage their long-term conditions, including neurological conditions, closer to home.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77757 on Multiple Myeloma: Diagnosis, when the NHS will fully implement non-specific symptom pathways for the purpose of earlier diagnosis of blood cancers.

We recognise that there is more to be done to ensure that every patient receives fast and early diagnosis, including patients with harder to stage cancers, such as myeloma.The National Health Service has fully implemented non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. There are currently 115 NSS services operating in England with blood cancers being one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.Diagnosing cancer earlier is a key focus of the forthcoming National Cancer Plan, which will build on the shifts in care set out in the 10-Year Health Plan to diagnose cancers earlier.

What assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of net zero policies on Scotland's oil and gas sector.

I’m due to be in Aberdeen next week to meet a range of North Sea oil and gas operators.The Government is clear that Scotland’s oil and gas industry will remain part of our energy system for decades to come.We are also strengthening our energy security and making Scotland home to the green jobs of the future by investing in homegrown clean power through GB Energy.GB Energy is already investing in Scottish renewables. This includes an investment of £200 million in solar and renewable energy projects on public buildings across the country, and in June, GB Energy also pledged £300 million of investment in offshore wind supply chains, as part of a £1 billion package in collaboration with industry and the Crown Estate.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44492 on Business Rates: Tax Allowances, if she will list the special category codes for the types of hereditaments whose valuation is assessed (a) in whole and (b) in part on a consideration of the receipts and expenditure of the property.

Special category codes (SCAT) identify the type of property, not the valuation methodology adopted. They cannot be used to identify the valuation method because for some property types a receipts and expenditure, contractor’s or rental comparison methods may all have been used. The valuation methods used for different property types are set out on gov.uk here: Business Rates – Valuation Office Agency

If she will publish the Valuation Office Agency presentation entitled Use of AVMs – Council Tax revaluation in Wales, given at the Conference of Valuation Agencies in October 2024.

Information about how the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) uses model assisted valuation and mass appraisal to support large-scale valuation is available on GOV.UK: How model assisted valuation delivers large-scale property valuations - GOV.UK.

What assessment the National Audit Office has made of the adequacy of local authority audit in (a) Wales, (b) Scotland and (c) Northern Ireland.

The National Audit Office has not assessed the adequacy of local authority audit in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. The audit of such bodies is conducted under devolved audit arrangements in accordance with relevant statute, and the NAO has no remit to assess its adequacy.

If she will set out the the policy of the Valuation Office Agency on amending the valuation of (a) schools and (b) hospitals following the installation of rooftop solar panels.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) applies the law as it stands when valuing domestic and non-domestic properties. In relation to solar panels, the legal position is set out in the Rating Manual, which is published on gov.uk: Section 5a: valuation of all property classes - Power generators - Guidance - GOV.UK, in particular Appendix 1: rateability of microgeneration schemes refers.

With reference to page 25 of the Valuation Office Agency's document entitled Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25, published on 17 July 2025, if she will publish the training manual for the Valuation Operating System for council tax.

The training material the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has produced on the Valuation Operating System is for internal staff use only.

Whether she plans to increase (a) regulation or (b) taxation on second homes.

The government keeps all taxes under review as part of the usual tax policy making process.

What her policy is on reforming stamp duty; and what representations she has received on introducing an annual tax on the capital value of primary residences.

SDLT continues to be an important source of government revenue, raising around £12 billion each year to help pay for the essential services the government provides. Any changes to taxes such as SDLT would therefore have to be carefully considered given the potential effect on public finances. The government keeps all taxes under review as part of the usual tax policy making process.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 59605 on Neurological Diseases: Primary Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that GP practices do not replace traditional methods of access with online triage services.

General practices are independent business that hold contracts with the National Health Service to perform essential services to the public. The GP contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person. Practice receptions should be open so that patients have a choice in access and so that patients who struggle to access telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.As a part of this contract, we also require general practices to provide an online consultation tool as an option for patients to contact their general practice throughout core hours. We are clear that all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a general practitioner.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that patients are aware that they will continue to have the option to arrange GP appointments by (a) telephone and (b) visiting a practice in-person.

General practices are independent business that hold contracts with the National Health Service to perform essential services to the public. The GP contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person. Practice receptions should be open so that patients have a choice in access and so that patients who struggle to access telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.As a part of this contract, we also require general practices to provide an online consultation tool as an option for patients to contact their general practice throughout core hours. We are clear that all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a general practitioner.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 February 2025 to Question 30146 on Business Rates, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reducing relative to the 2024-25 scheme the value of the retail, hospitality and leisure relief per hereditament in 2025-26 to offset increased costs arising from the removal of the £110,000 per business cap.

The existing retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) relief has been repeatedly extended year-by-year as a temporary stopgap measure. We recognise that this creates cliff-edges and uncertainty for businesses, as well as significant fiscal pressure. That is why, from 2026/27 we will introduce permanently lower tax rates for RHL properties with rateable values (RVs) under £500,000. Like all business rates multipliers, these lower RHL multipliers will not be subject to a cash cap. This permanent tax cut will ensure that RHL businesses benefit from much-needed certainty and support. We also recognise that RHL businesses will need support during the interim period for 2025/26, and so we are providing 40 per cent relief to RHL properties up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business. The rates for the new business rate multipliers will be set at Budget 2025 so that the Government can take into account the upcoming revaluation outcomes as well as the economic and fiscal context. When the new multipliers are set, HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued on whether an elector can register to vote in three different localities.

In the UK, citizens are entitled to be registered at more than one address in certain circumstances. It is the responsibility of the local Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) to consider each application to register to vote on its own merits and to be satisfied that a person meets the residence criteria for each address.The Electoral Commission as the independent electoral regulator, holds responsibility for issuing guidance on electoral registration.

Communities and Local Government, how many dwellings in each local authority in England are classified as Class F under regulation 2 of the Council Tax (Liability for Owners) Regulations 1992.

The Department publishes local authority level data on the number of dwellings receiving the Class F exemption as part of the Council Taxbase statistics. The latest data is based on a snapshot taken in October 2024 and can be found at the following link Council Taxbase Local Authority Level Data 2024 in the ‘Supplementary_Data’ tab.

Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on the (a) use of Special Development Orders to obtain planning approval, (b) planning application call-in and (c) planning appeal recovery for asylum seeker accommodation.

The Secretary of State’s powers relating to Special Development Orders are set out in section 60 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Policies on calling in planning applications and recovering appeals are set out in the Written Ministerial Statements of 26 October 2012 and 30 June 2008 respectively.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help tackle fraudulent electoral registration.

The Government is committed to upholding the integrity of electoral registers. A robust system of identity verification forms part of the electoral registration process. This includes the ability to match an applicant’s data with Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) records, or to request documentary evidence to verify their identity. The Electoral Commission, which is responsible for issuing guidance on electoral registration, has also published guidance for Electoral Registration Officers on identifying suspicious registration applications and working with local police to investigate any potential registration fraud.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued on whether public disturbances outside asylum hotels are a material consideration in relation to (a) planning harm and (b) change of use from a hotel into asylum hostel accommodation.

My Department has not issued any such guidance.