Written questions by Wilkinson.

What sliding scale her Department will use to impose visa penalties.

The Home Office keeps the returns cooperation of all its international partners under close and regular review and will not hesitate to take action where needed. Countries which do not cooperate on returns must demonstrate rapid and sustained improvements in their returns cooperation, to allow for the swift and frictionless return of their nationals who have no right to be in the UK, in order to avoid visa penalties. If a country does not cooperate on returns, that country should no longer expect a normal relationship on visas, and this government will not hesitate to impose Visa Penalties as set out in Sections 70-74 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. This could include: requiring that entry clearance is not granted pursuant to an application before the end of a specified period; suspending the power to grant entry clearance pursuant to an application; requiring an application to be treated as invalid for the purposes of the immigration rules; or requiring an applicant to pay £190 for an application.

What criteria her Department is using to determine if a third country is safe to deport migrants.

The criteria to designate all, or part, of a country as safe for the purpose of certification of protection or human rights claims as clearly unfounded is set out in s94 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002:(5)The Secretary of State may by order add a State, or part of a State, to the list in subsection (4) if satisfied that—(a)there is in general in that State or part no serious risk of persecution of persons entitled to reside in that State or part, and(b)removal to that State or part of persons entitled to reside there will not in general contravene the United Kingdom’s obligations under the Human Rights Convention.Other countries not designated in this manner may still be considered to be safe in respect of an individual and their personal circumstances.

With reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Restoring Order and Control: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy, updated on 20 November 2025, what criteria his Department will set for refugees to be able to access benefits.

The Home Secretary announced, in the Home Office’s Asylum and Returns Policy Statement on 17 November 2026, that DWP will consult on the rules for taxpayer-funded benefits to prioritise access for long-term residents and those who are making an economic contribution to the UK. The consultation will look at how the benefit rules apply to everyone arriving or returning to the UK, and any changes to entitlement rules will be set out during the consultation. The consultation will take place in 2026.

If she will introduce protections to ensure asylum seekers under the duress of criminal gangs are not punished for failing to disclose they are being influenced.

We recognise that that all asylum seekers are potentially vulnerable, and during the asylum decision making process, we aim to ensure that particularly vulnerable claimants are identified, the particular difficulties they may face in disclosing their experiences are given due consideration when assessing their credibility, and that they are given help in accessing appropriate services.As the Home Secretary said in her statement of 17 November, we are committed to ensuring that victims of modern slavery are quickly identified and can access the necessary support through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), which is the UK’s framework for identifying and supporting victims of exploitation and human trafficking. However, we are also determined to pursue and tackle any abuse of the system to ensure it is working effectively for victims.NRM decision-makers are trained to recognise conditions which may cause delays or inconsistencies in an individual’s account, including trauma, barriers to disclosure, and a reluctance on the part of potential victim to self-identify themselves as such. Timing of disclosure is also a relevant factor in assessing a potential victim’s modern slavery case. We will strengthen this further to ensure that it is a key consideration when deciding on the credibility of a case, whilst bearing in mind the impact that trauma has on victims of these crimes.

What steps her department is taking to change (i) the tax system and (ii) public sector funds to encourage further investment in start-ups and early stage companies.

The Government is committed to making the UK the best place to start and grow a business, recognising the importance of a competitive investment environment for economic growth. The UK is already the best place in Europe to start a business, and Autumn Budget 2025 sets out measures which will unlock even more investment in UK entrepreneurs and innovators, including start-ups and early stage companies. On tax, we are doubling the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Venture Capital Trusts (VCT) investment limits, and expanding eligibility for the Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) scheme. These changes will encourage further investment in our most successful companies, and attract top talent to help companies grow. On public finance, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will direct £7 billion to support innovative company growth, and, as a first step, Innovate UK will launch a £130 million Growth Catalyst programme to accelerate frontier firms. The British Business Bank (BBB) will increase annual deployment by two-thirds, aiming to unlock £26 billion of private capital alongside £13 billion in public funding, and enable up to £10 billion in small business lending through guarantees. Together, these steps will strengthen the UK’s start-up and scale-up ecosystem, giving founders the confidence and capital to start here, scale here, and succeed here.

How many National Fraud Intelligence Bureau 1D dating scam offences were recorded in the (a) 2024-25, (b) 2023-24. (c) 2019-20 and (d) 2014-15 financial year.

The Home Office does not collect information on romance fraud. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), which sits within City of London Police, collects data on Dating Scam Fraud. This is collected from the reports made to Action Fraud that amounted to a crime under the Home Office crime recording rules.The table below summarises the number of dating scams recorded by NFIB on 1D dating fraud offences. 2014/152019/202023/242024/25Dating scam (NFIB1D)2,7355,5418,3889,296

What information her Department collects on romance fraud.

The Home Office does not collect information on romance fraud. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), which sits within City of London Police, collects data on Dating Scam Fraud. This is collected from the reports made to Action Fraud that amounted to a crime under the Home Office crime recording rules.The table below summarises the number of dating scams recorded by NFIB on 1D dating fraud offences. 2014/152019/202023/242024/25Dating scam (NFIB1D)2,7355,5418,3889,296

If his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the level of SEND diagnoses on levels of welfare spending.

It is not possible to quantify the totality of the impact of SEND in terms of welfare spending. The department will continue to work closely with the Department for Education on improving the support for and chances of all young people.

If she will hold discussions with train companies on enforcing rules relating to quiet carriages.

Many train operators have introduced quiet carriages on their services which require passengers to be considerate of others by keeping noise levels to a minimum. The enforcement of this is for the train operators to manage, and Great British Railways will be responsible for this as part of the customer offer in future. In addition, the Railway Byelaws set out rules on the playing of music or causing an annoyance due to the production or reproduction of sound, including possible fines of up to £1,000.

How many different transactions or processes between members of the public and DVLA can only be completed if payment is made by a member of the public by (a) cash, (b) cheque and (c) postal order.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) offers nearly 50 main customer facing services and the vast majority of these are available online with a range of payment options. Only seven applications currently require payment by cash, cheque or postal order and these are listed below. These services require a manual payment as the applications must currently be submitted in paper form because (for example) original documentation may need to be submitted or these transactions cannot yet be carried out online. 1Application to exchange a non-GB driving licence for a GB one.2Application for a driving licence following a disqualification.3Requests for vehicle information from individuals (companies and other organisations can use the automated online service).4Application for a vehicle registration certificate where the original is not available.5Application for the reduced rate of vehicle excise duty when the recipient receives the standard rate of Personal Independence Payment.6Application to amend vehicle excise duty details - for example up or down plating of a heavy goods vehicle7Trade licence applications, including first licences, renewal or replacement.

How many times a court has cited (a) Article 3 and (b) Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights as a reason for the non-deportation of an asylum seeker in the last 12 months.

The information requested is not held centrally. It may be held in court records, but to determine that and obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.

If he will consider reviewing the geographical areas within which resident doctors are expected to relocate during specialty training.

We recognise the importance of location stability for doctors in training and the impact that frequent relocations can have on wellbeing, retention, and workforce planning.A review into postgraduate medical training is already underway. The first phase of the review has now concluded, with further information available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/the-medical-training-review-phase-1-diagnostic-report/The next phase of the review will involve working with a wide range of stakeholders across the system to design a package of reform.Alongside this review, a review of rotational training is currently in progress and is being led by the Department, along with NHS England and the British Medical Association.NHS England’s 10 Point Plan to improve resident doctors’ working lives, published on 29 August, contains a commitment to reduce the impact of rotations upon resident doctors’ lives while maintaining service delivery. Further information can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/10-point-plan-to-improve-resident-doctors-working-lives/

If he plans to take legislative steps to place a statutory duty on leaders in the (a) public and (b) private sectors to embed (i) inclusive governance and (ii) protective leadership practices.

The Companies Act 2006 requires directors to have regard to employee interests and to the impact of the company’s operations on the community and the environment. The UK Corporate Governance Code includes provisions that support inclusive governance, including mechanisms to enable the workforce to engage with directors and for workers to raise concerns in confidence. The Public Sector Equality Duty in the Equality Act 2010 requires public authorities, and those carrying out public functions, to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different people.

What assessment his Department has made of the capacity of GP services in Gloucestershire to meet patient demand.

We are expanding capacity in general practice, enabling more appointments for patients both nationally and in Gloucestershire.Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board has achieved a 6.4% increase in appointments delivered in general practice since 2024, with 398,000 appointments provided in September 2025 compared to 374,000 in September 2024.In October 2024, we invested £82 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support the recruitment of an additional 2,500 GPs into Primary Care Networks across England. This has helped to increase appointment availability and improve care for thousands of patients. We have invested an additional £1.1 billion in general practice to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service which was the biggest increase in over a decade. Additionally, we have invested £102 million into the Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund which will create additional clinical space within over 1,000 GP practices across England and will help deliver more appointments each year.

Communities and Local Government, what consideration his Department has given to allowing interested third parties to seek a review of administrative planning conditions.

Conditions on planning applications can be challenged by the applicant through appeal, but not by a third party. Third parties can make representations on planning applications during the consultation stage and through engagement with the local planning authority. In making a decision on a planning application, the local planning authority must have considered all the representations made and must take into account those views.

What assessment his Department made of the potential impact of a legal duty to implement public enquiry recommendations on public trust in government.

Public inquiries are independent of Government and can make recommendations of their choosing. Government takes the recommendations of inquiries very seriously, and determines which recommendations it accepts. To ensure clarity and transparency of progress on the recommendations that Government has accepted, we have established a record on GOV.UK of inquiry recommendations, starting with the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and Infected Blood Inquiry. This will be periodically updated and expanded to capture future inquiry recommendations. This will be an enduring mechanism for monitoring and tracking government implementation of inquiry recommendations. It will allow the public to track the progress of implementation enhancing public trust in Government.

If he will take legislative steps to require public sector organisations to publish reports on (a) internal culture, (b) risk management and (c) the implementation of inquiry recommendations.

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill is currently progressing through parliament. The legislation will include a requirement that all public bodies establish a professional duty of candour for staff set out within a wider code of ethics. This obligation will require public bodies to promote the ethical conduct of their employees. The Government will drive forward implementation with determination and hold public sector organisations accountable. Public Sector leaders will join ministers on a dedicated new implementation board to monitor progress. Public inquiries are independent of Government and can make recommendations of their choosing. Government takes the recommendations of inquiries very seriously, and determines which recommendations it accepts. To ensure clarity and transparency of progress on the recommendations that Government has accepted, we have established a record on GOV.UK of inquiry recommendations, starting with the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and Infected Blood Inquiry. This will be periodically updated and expanded to capture future inquiry recommendations. This will be an enduring mechanism for monitoring and tracking government implementation of inquiry recommendations. It will allow the public to track the progress of implementation enhancing public trust in Government.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the likelihood of non-harmful websites being made inaccessible to users due to the effects of the Online Safety Act 2023.

Proportionality is a core principle of the Online Safety Act and is in-built into its duties. As online safety regulator, Ofcom must consider the size and risk level of different types of services when recommending steps providers can take to comply with their duties.Ofcom is communicating with in scope services about the new regulations in the Act and is working with services to ensure compliance is as easy as possible. As noted in the Ofcom CEO’s letter of 8 July 2025 to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Ofcom is providing support to online service providers of all sizes to make it easier for them to understand – and comply with – their responsibilities under the new laws.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of whistleblower protections.

The Government recognises that the whistleblowing framework in the Employment Rights Act 1996 may not be operating as effectively as intended. My Department in July published an independent review into the framework, which did not make formal recommendations for reform but did provide some useful analyses on the functioning of the framework based on stakeholder engagement and a literature review.The review is a helpful contribution to the governments ongoing assessment of the framework, and the Government welcomes the continued engagement of parliamentarians and stakeholders on this important area of public policy.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of requiring the disclosure of the true beneficiary of a planning application to enhance public scrutiny.

Planning permissions relate to plots of land and so the identity of the applicant and the ownership of land are not normally material considerations in planning decisions. Disclosure of the true beneficiary of a planning permission would therefore not affect the outcome of a planning decision.