Written questions by Taylor.

Whether he plans to introduce ring-fenced funding for hospice clinical services.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations, which can include hospice services being available within the ICB catchment area.Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life and their loved ones.Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area, but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all- age palliative and end of life care, included services provided by hospices, in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

What steps his Department is taking to protect vulnerable people during periods of extreme heat.

The UK Health Security Agency delivers the Adverse Weather and Health Plan (AWHP) and Weather-Health Alerting (WHA) System, which provides alerts for the public and public sector organisations to prepare for impacts of adverse weather, including heat.Risks to health are communicated via the WHA system. Enhanced amber and red alerts are used to alert those at the greatest risk. The alerts have enhanced communications to support partner organisations and the public. Heat-health guidance and checklists are available for both health and social care professionals and the public on what action they should take.The AWHP is designed to protect public health during extreme weather conditions. It emphasises preparedness, early warning systems, communication strategies, and targeted support for vulnerable populations. It aims to reduce illness, hospital admissions, and mortality through timely interventions, public awareness, and resilience-building measures.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of waiting times on children and young people seeking urgent mental health support.

We know that too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and that waits for mental health services are far too long. We are determined to change that, as we recognise the importance of timely access to mental health support for children and the positive impact this can have on areas such as family life and educational outcomes.Backed by an extra £688 million in Government funding this year, we are transforming mental health services, including hiring more staff and getting waiting lists down through our 10-Year Health Plan, so children can have the best possible start in life.We will deliver on our commitment to get every child who needs it access to mental health support within school, and over the course of this year we will roll that support out to nearly a million extra children. Under Government plans, all pupils will have access to mental health support in school by 2029/30.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help prevent the destruction of (a) hospitals and (b) medical facilities in the Gaza Strip.

The healthcare system in Gaza is now on the brink of collapse. As the Minister for International Development said in August, essential medicines are running our while all of Gaza's hospitals have been damaged, with most no longer functioning at all. Humanitarian workers must be protected, and medical and aid workers must be able to do their jobs safely.Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials and I are in regular dialogue with our Israeli counterparts on the protection of healthcare facilities in Gaza. We will continue to make both public and private representations to the Government of Israel to protect healthcare staff and facilities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Israel on the forced transfer of Palestinian residents from Masafer Yatta.

We are deeply concerned by the levels of settler violence, settlement growth, and demolition of Palestinian homes in the West Bank. More than 1,000 people in Masafer Yatta face the prospect of demolitions and evictions. In all but the most exceptional cases, demolitions by an occupying power are contrary to international law. We urge Israel to halt demolitions and evictions of Palestinian communities. The UK Government supports Bedouin and Palestinian communities facing demolition or eviction in Area C of the West Bank through access to legal aid programmes and outreach to vulnerable and remote areas. Our officials in Jerusalem will continue to meet communities at risk of demolition and displacement, including the communities of Masafer Yatta.

Communities and Local Government, how much funding has been allocated to the Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion since it was established.

The Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion is not affiliated with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. As such, the department has not allocated any funding to the commission and does not hold information on its timelines.

Communities and Local Government, how many meetings the Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion have had since it was established.

The Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion is not affiliated with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. As such, the department has not allocated any funding to the commission and does not hold information on its timelines.

Communities and Local Government, when recommendations are expected to be published by the Independent Commission for Community and Inclusion.

The Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion is not affiliated with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. As such, the department has not allocated any funding to the commission and does not hold information on its timelines.

Communities and Local Government, how much funding her Department has allocated to preventing Islamophobia.

In 2025/26, up to £650,000 of funding is available to the British Muslim Trust to monitor hate targeting Muslims and facilitate support for victims. The government will provide the police with funding of £80,000 for True Vision, an online hate crime reporting portal, designed so that victims of hate crime do not have to visit a police station to report.

Whether he plans to introduce permanent patient registration with NHS dental practices.

The Government has no current plans to introduce a system of patient registration for National Health Service dental practices.Patients in England are not registered with an NHS dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly, and some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. NHS dentists are required to update their NHS website profiles at least every 90 days to ensure patients have up-to-date information on where they can access care.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 per year. Integrated care boards have been making the extra appointments available from 1 April 2025. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

If he will take steps to help ensure that Givinostat is made available in for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy across all NHS trusts areas.

The Department understands the impact that Duchenne muscular dystrophy has on those living with it and their families, and the urgent need for new treatment options.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS independently based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance. NICE is currently evaluating givinostat for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and its independent Appraisal Committee will meet to consider the evidence in July 2025.Ahead of NICE’s evaluation, ITF Pharma UK, the United Kingdom’s marketing authorisation holder for givinostat, is providing access to givinostat through a type of compassionate use scheme called an Early Access Programme (EAP). The delivery of timely and equitable access to new treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy under company-sponsored EAPs is not the responsibility of NHS England. Participation in company-led schemes is decided at an individual NHS trust level and under these programmes, the cost of the drug is free to both the patients taking part in it, and to the NHS, although NHS trusts must still cover administration costs and provide clinical resources to deliver the EAP.NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge medicines schemes, providing advice on potential financial, resourcing, and clinical risks.ICSs should use the guidance to help determine whether to implement any free of charge scheme, including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Spending Review 2025 on the number of Metropolitan Police officers.

Paragraph 5.35 of the Spending Review document, published on 11 June, sets out the overall financial allocation for policing in England in Wales.As usual, more detail on force funding allocations will be set out in the police settlement later this year.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of police funding increases being delivered primarily through rises in council tax precepts on local taxpayers.

The government believes in empowering local decision-makers, including by ensuring they have the flexibility to generate their own income through council tax, while protecting residents from excessive increases. Police precept levels for 2026/27 onwards remains subject to final decisions on precept which will be set out in the annual police funding settlement in the usual way. It will then be for individual police and crime commissioners to decide whether to use their full flexibility, balancing the extra spending with the tax burden on residents.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ban trail hunting.

As per our manifesto, this Government will ban trail hunting. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing and further announcements will be made in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to review selective licensing rules for private landlords.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 26845 on 5 February 2025, which sets out changes we made to selective licensing in December. We have no plans to make further changes at this time.

When she expects construction of Angel Hill Free School in Rosehill to begin.

Works at Angel Hill Free School are expected to commence in September 2025 subject to the contract being awarded in August.Departmental officials working on the programme would be happy to meet to discuss the project in detail alongside the Trust.

Whether she has had discussions with Action Fraud on (a) proposals for crypto asset rules and (b) support for investigations into scams.

We are replacing the current Action Fraud service with a new, improved service. The new service will provide better support services and reporting tools for victims, provide greater intelligence to law enforcement to support investigations, and allow for greater prevention and disruption at scale.A phased introduction of the new service is now underway and will continue throughout 2025. Changes have already been made to improve the analysis of reports, the quality of intelligence drawn from them, and how quickly this is sent to police forces for investigation.The new service has been designed to recognise crypto currency as both an enabler of frauds, such as investment fraud, and an enabler to the cashing out mechanism to realise the benefits of the criminal activity. This will ensure accurate reporting and deliver a greater understanding of the threat posed by crypto currency and how to tackle it more effectively.

Whether her Department is taking steps to reduce aviation carbon emissions by (a) introducing frequent flier levies and (b) reducing the use of domestic short haul flights where train alternatives exist.

The government is committed to delivering greener transport, supporting its missions to make Britain a clean energy superpower and kickstart economic growth. We have already made significant strides to decarbonise the aviation sector including through the introduction of a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate, legislating for a Revenue Certainty Mechanism to encourage investment in UK SAF production, and delivering a modernised airspace to help make flights more efficient and greener. A frequent flyer levy is a taxation issue which is a matter for the Treasury. In the last Budget, the Chancellor announced changes to Air Passenger Duty (APD), which is the principal tax on the aviation sector. This included a 13% increase in APD rates for 2026/27 and a further 50% increase for larger private and business jets. APD generates revenue that funds government priorities, including tackling climate change. Domestic air travel in the UK is vital for supporting jobs, trade and investment, and ensures regional connectivity. Alongside being a gateway to international opportunities, domestic flights help maintain social and family ties and strengthen the bonds between the four nations.

When he plans to set out a timeframe for the reduction of mental health waiting times.

The long waits for mental health services are being driven by increasing demand in a system in desperate need of change.The Government is already responding by delivering new and innovative models of care in the community. As part of this, we have launched six neighbourhood adult mental health centres that are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to bring together community, crisis, and inpatient care.NHS England’s Planning Guidance for 2025/26 makes clear that for this year, to support reform and improvements, we expect all providers to reduce the variation in children and young people accessing services and improve productivity.We are also improving data quality, so we can support providers to understand the demand across their areas. Since July 2023, NHS England has included waiting time metrics for referrals to urgent and community-based mental health services in its monthly mental health statistics publication, to help services to target the longest waits.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of English language requirements on British National (Overseas) visa holders seeking to (a) extend their stay and (b) apply for indefinite leave to remain for adult dependents in Sutton.

Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation.