Written questions by Wilkinson.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of Video Games Expenditure Credit on levels of inward investment into the video games industry.

The Video Games Expenditure Credit was introduced in 2024 to replace the Video Game Tax Relief, modernising the reliefs and ensuring they continue to work as intended to support the video games industry.As set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector. My department engages regularly with His Majesty’s Treasury on a range of issues to deliver this objective, including the Video Games Expenditure Credit.

What assessment she has made of potential impact of the Video Games Expenditure Credit on levels of (a) employment, (b) investment, (c) studio formation and (d) IP development.

The Government recognises the importance of the creative industries, including the key role they play in driving economic growth. Video games jobs are highly productive at nearly double the average national output, and technology developed by games businesses contributes an estimated £1.3 billion output to the UK economy each year. Video games companies benefit from the Video Games Expenditure Credit, which provides a tax credit of 34 per cent on UK video games development costs. It is too soon to conduct an assessment of VGEC’s impact given it was introduced on 1 January 2024, after which there will be a lag of at least 12 months as accounting periods end and corporation tax returns are filed. An evaluation of the Video Game Tax Relief (VGTR), which VGEC is replacing, was published in July 2017. It can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/video-game-tax-relief-evaluation. The government will continue to work with industry to monitor the VGEC and its effectiveness on an ongoing basis.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the provision of specialist (a) wheelchairs, (b) beds and (c) armchairs for tall disabled people.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services. National Health Service trusts work with the patient and wheelchair supplier to best meet the patient’s needs and requirements.A typical hospital bed is 200 centimetres long and can be extended by 20 centimetres with pressure relieving infills available. With regards to armchairs, the NHS Supply Chain works with customers and suppliers if any bespoke products are needed in the market.Equipment provision, where required for use in peoples’ own homes, is typically through a community equipment service; these are usually funded through a combination of the local authority and local NHS and provided via an outsourced provider or a locally-run service.

If he will set out the appointment process for the Permanent Secretary, Director of Government Communications.

The appointment process for the Director of Government Communications followed the process for Permanent Secretary recruitment set out in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles (here, paragraphs 44 - 47). The role was advertised on Civil Service Jobs from 19 May to 15 June 2025.

What steps her Department to ensure that 5% of GDP is spent on defence before 2035.

At the Spending Review, we set budgets taking ‘core’ defence spending to 2.6% by 2027; next Parliament we have an ambition to reach 3% when fiscal and economic conditions allow. Additionally, under the new NATO Defence Investment Pledge, the government has committed to hitting a headline ambition of 5% of GDP in the Parliament after next (2035-36). The 5% will be split into 1.5% of defence and security related spending and 3.5% of core defence spending with the overall ambition, trajectory and split to be reviewed in 2029. We will set out our plans for the next spending review period at Spending Review 2027.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of pay for resident doctors.

The Government allows the independent Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) to make recommendations on headline pay for doctors, including resident doctors. Within their report they make an assessment on the level of pay with regard to various factors such as recruitment and retention.We received the latest DDRB report at the end of April and on 22 May 2025, the Government announced the 2025/26 pay awards for National Health Service staff in England. The Government accepted the headline pay recommendations of the DDRB, which meant that resident doctors were awarded an, on average, 5.4% uplift to pay.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has held several meetings with the British Medical Association’s Resident Doctors Committee chairs to discuss pay and wider working conditions since the report was received.Resident doctors received the highest pay award of the entire public sector this year, an average 28.9% pay rise compared to three years ago.The process for the 2026/27 pay round is already underway, with the Department setting out the remit to the DDRB in July. The DDRB report, which was submitted earlier this year, is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-body-on-doctors-and-dentists-remuneration-fifty-third-report-2025

What assessment she has made of the potential benefit of changing the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence test by (a) using CCTV on test vehicles and (b) introducing detailed written feedback for failed tests.

No assessment has been made by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) of the benefits of using CCTV on test vehicles, as part of the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC). The existing testing framework for large vehicles already incorporates structured reporting and feedback mechanisms.

What his Department's planned timetable is for increasing the annual provision of specialty training places for resident doctors.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan published in July 2025, over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course

What funding his Department has allocated to GP practices to hire more GPs.

We are starting to see consistent growth in the general practitioner (GP) workforce.  In July 2025, there were 658 more fully qualified full-time equivalent GPs working in practices than in July 2024.The Government committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified GPs in primary care networks (PCNs) through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25. This is part of our initiative to secure the future pipeline of GPs, with over 1,000 doctors otherwise likely to graduate into unemployment in 2024/25. Data on the number of recently qualified general practitioners for which PCNs are claiming reimbursement via the ARRS show that, since 1 October 2024, over 2,000 GPs were recruited through the scheme.Newly qualified GPs employed under the ARRS will continue to receive support under the scheme in the coming year as part of the 25/26 contract. Several changes have been confirmed to increase the flexibility of ARRS. These include: GPs and practice nurses included in the main ARRS funding pot; an uplift of the maximum reimbursable rate for GPs in the scheme; and no caps on the number of GPs that can be employed through the scheme.We are boosting practice finances by investing an additional £1,092 million in general practice to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP contract in 2025/26 is faster than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of conducting efficiency savings to fund more (a) clinical staff and (b) equipment in the NHS.

NHS England’s 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance made it clear that the National Health Service must live within the budget it is allocated, reduce waste and increase productivity to deliver growth against demand. The Autumn Statement 2024 reaffirmed a 2% NHS productivity growth target for 2025/26, and the recent Spending Review set out the commitment to achieve 2% productivity growth across the Spending Review period, supported by up to £10 billion of technology and digital investment.As part of the 2025/26 planning process, all NHS systems set efficiency and savings targets necessary to achieve a balanced financial position, and planned delivery of the other national priorities set out in planning guidance including recovering elective activity. To help organisations identify savings and plan for 2025/26, NHS England shared core productivity and efficiency metrics with benchmarked opportunities. For a given budget, savings and productivity opportunities can enable the same level of clinical staff to do more activity, or can involve savings to non-clinical areas or reduction in input costs, for example, procurement and agency savings, to enable reinvestment in additional clinical staff or non-capitalised equipment.

How many GPs have (a) been hired and (b) left practice since July 2024.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, the most recent period for which data is available, 2,611 full time equivalent (FTE), or 4,174 headcount, fully qualified general practitioners (GPs) joined general practice, while 1,760 FTE, or 2,756 headcount, fully qualified GPs left general practice.

What recent steps his Department has taken to increase the recruitment of GPs.

We are starting to see consistent growth in the general practitioner (GP) workforce.  In July 2025, there were 658 more fully qualified full-time equivalent GPs working in practices than in July 2024.The Government committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified GPs in primary care networks (PCNs) through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25. This is part of our initiative to secure the future pipeline of GPs, with over 1,000 doctors otherwise likely to graduate into unemployment in 2024/25. Data on the number of recently qualified general practitioners for which PCNs are claiming reimbursement via the ARRS show that, since 1 October 2024, over 2,000 GPs were recruited through the scheme.Newly qualified GPs employed under the ARRS will continue to receive support under the scheme in the coming year as part of the 25/26 contract. Several changes have been confirmed to increase the flexibility of ARRS. These include: GPs and practice nurses included in the main ARRS funding pot; an uplift of the maximum reimbursable rate for GPs in the scheme; and no caps on the number of GPs that can be employed through the scheme.We are boosting practice finances by investing an additional £1,092 million in general practice to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP contract in 2025/26 is faster than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole.

What steps his Department is taking to support the solar industry.

The Government supports ground mount solar through its Contracts for Difference scheme, which has supported 7.5GW so far. It supports demand for rooftop solar by various means, including favourable tax treatment, permitted development rights, new building standards, the Smart Export Guarantee, and the £13.2bn being made available through the ambitious Warm Homes Plan.The Government recently published the Solar Roadmap, which set out actions for government and industry to remove barriers to deployment. Progress will be monitored by a Ministerially chaired Solar Council, allowing industry representatives to engage directly on any challenges or opportunities which arise.

What is her Department's policy on targets for net migration.

This Government recognises and values the contribution that legal migration makes to the UK.But under the previous Government, between 2019 and 2024, net migration almost quadrupled, heavily driven by a big increase in overseas recruitment.The Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper, published on 12 May, sets out reforms to legal migration, so that we can restore order, control and fairness to the system, bring down net migration and promote economic growth.Previous governments have set targets and then not met them, which has undermined the credibility of the system. Instead, we want to restore public confidence with a series of steps to replace our failing system with one that reduces net migration substantially.

What steps he is taking to review NHS outsourcing contracts.

All public authorities, including the National Health Service, follow the guidance and principles set out in the Sourcing Playbook when planning and making sourcing decisions to deliver public services in partnership with the private and third sectors. The playbook is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-sourcing-and-consultancy-playbooksThe consultation, Public Procurement: Growing British industry, jobs and skills, is one considering further reforms to public procurement. More specifically, it is proposed that public bodies would be required to carry out a quick and proportionate public interest test, to understand whether that work could not be more effectively done in-house before any service is contracted out. The Cabinet Office will consider the results of the consultation, and the Department will comply with any changes to the law. Details of the consultation are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/public-procurement-growing-british-industry-jobs-and-skills-consultation-on-further-reforms-to-public-procurement/public-procurement-growing-british-industry-jobs-and-skills-html

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support defence companies.

The Defence Industrial Strategy is the defence sector plan for the Modern Industrial Strategy and underlines this Government’s commitment to making defence an engine for growthThe DIS outlines how the Government will back UK-based businesses by launching the offsets consultation, increase spending on SMEs, create a Defence Office for SME Growth, and provide additional support to companies to export. It announced an ambitious skills package of £182million to enable industry to recruit and build the well-paid jobs that will keep the UK secure in the future. The DIS also outlines how the MOD will conduct early market engagement with industry to inform procurement decisions.

What steps he is taking to deliver a pay restoration framework for resident doctors.

Each year the Government allows the independent Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body (DDRB) to make recommendations on headline pay for doctors, including resident doctors.In May 2025, the Government announced the 2025/26 pay awards for National Health Service staff in England, accepting the headline pay recommendations of the DDRB, for consultants, specialty and specialist doctors, and resident doctors for the 2025/26 period.Resident doctors received one of the highest pay awards of the entire public sector this year, meaning an average 28.9% pay rise compared to three years ago.The DDRB has been remitted and the process for 2026/27 pay is already under way.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress his Department has made with international counterparts on cooperating to protect the human rights of Uyghurs.

This Government will stand firm on human rights, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities.We will continue to work closely with international partners in a number of areas, including holding China to account in international fora. For example, we joined a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang and Tibet at the UN General Assembly in October. We also work together to monitor, expose and react to human rights violations in Xinjiang. This includes working with international partners to understand the impact and effectiveness of measures to combat forced labour.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has implemented the recommendations of the Second Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Session 2021-22 on Never Again: The UK's Responsibility to Act on Atrocities in Xinjiang and Beyond, HC 198, published on 29 June 2021.

The UK has carefully considered and implemented several of the Foreign Affairs Committee's recommendations on responding to human rights violations in China since 2021. This Government will stand firm on human rights, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities.We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our counterparts. We continue to coordinate efforts with our international partners to hold China to account, for example, joining a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang and Tibet at the UN General Assembly in October. In the recently published Trade Strategy, the Department for Business and Trade launched a Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) review to consider the effectiveness of the UK's current RBC measures and alternative policy options, including approaches to tackle forced labour.

Communities and Local Government, whether at any stage of the local government reorganisation process she will bar the formation of new (a) town and (b) parish councils.

The formation of new town and parish councils is devolved to principal local authorities through the Community Governance Review process. The government believes that these should remain local decisions.Areas considering the establishment of new town and parish councils should think carefully about how these might be funded to avoid putting further pressure on local authority finances and/or new burdens on the taxpayer.We encourage local authorities to consider local neighbourhood working arrangements in their own structures to empower local residents and frontline councillors to work together for positive change in their area.