Written questions by Wilkinson.

What assessment has his Department made of the potential impact of ICB mergers on continuity and access in rural and semi-rural areas.

Across larger integrated care board (ICB) footprints there will be a renewed focus on the local level as part of our commitment to delivering care closer to home, and this includes rural and semi rural areas. As outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan, neighbourhood health plans will be created and will be brought together as part of the ICBs’ plans to improve population health locally.

What mechanisms will ensure accountability for primary care outcomes within merged ICBs, particularly where decision-making is centralised elsewhere.

The NHS Oversight Framework will continue to provide the approach to assessing integrated care boards, including in relation to primary care.

What assessment has his department made of the potential impact of funding levels for primary care on levels of demand for secondary and urgent care.

We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in general practice (GP) to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26, which is the biggest cash increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP Contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole. Over 10 million more GP appointments have been delivered in the 12-months to September 2025 compared to the same period last year, building capacity and improving access so that patients can be seen when they need to be in primary care.As part of GP Contract funding, since 1 October, GPs must allow patients to contact them via an online form at any time during core hours to request an appointment or to raise a query, in addition to telephone and in-person requests. By expanding ease of contact via online access, we will reduce pressure on accident and emergency, as we know that many patients seek medical care in accident and emergency if they fail to make contact with their GP. We are also funding the expansion of Advice and Guidance to improve two-way communication between GPs and hospital specialists and to ensure care is delivered in the right setting. We expect this to increase the usage of Advice and Guidance and to help patients receive the care they need in primary and community settings where appropriate, reducing referrals to secondary care.

How will GPs be supported with increases in workload demand for ADHD, gender medicine and weight-management prescribing.

We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in general practice (GP) to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26, which is the biggest cash increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP Contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole.Since October 2024, we have funded primary care networks with an additional £160 million to recruit recently qualified GPs through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. Over 2,600 individual GPs have now been recruited, preventing them from graduating into unemployment. We have committed to training thousands more GPs across the country which will increase capacity and take the pressure off those currently working in the system.The Government is committed to ensuring the GP workforce is sustainable, supported, and valued for the work they do. Good staff experience is crucial in ensuring the NHS is able to recruit and retain staff and its importance is recognised and illustrated in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan. Later this year we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will ensure that staff will be better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future, so they can achieve more.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence produces evidence-based guidance for health and care practitioners on best practice for a variety of conditions including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. NHS England has also published service specifications that describe how clinical and medical care is offered to people with gender dysphoria.GPs have access to a range of support from their integrated care boards and NHS England has developed a suite of implementation materials, delivery guidance and protocols, and has provided access to training resources to help GPs with weight management prescribing.

Whether his Department has considered guarantees on specialist care provision for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and very severe ME.

The commissioning of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards, based on the needs of their local population.The final delivery plan on ME/CFS, which we published in July, includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.

Which department is responsible for making decisions and research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) as part of the Final Delivery Plan.

The Department of Health and Social Care is responsible for the overall delivery of the final delivery plan on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).To address the breadth of the ME/CFS research challenge, the NIHR and the Medical Research Council (MRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, play complementary roles in the United Kingdom landscape by funding research across the research system, with MRC funding aetiological and early-stage translational science and NIHR funding later stage translational and applied clinical work.The NIHR and MRC are working together to deliver the research actions outlined in the ME/CFS final delivery plan that we published in July.

Whether access metrics will be reviewed to ensure they support relationship-based care.

This Government values continuity in general practice (GP) and there is an incentive to identify those who would benefit from continuity in the GP contract, but this isn't inconsistent with efforts to improve access, such as via the 24 hour access target where urgent treatment is required.We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in general practice to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest cash increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole.Over ten million more GP appointments have been delivered in the 12 months to September 2025 compared to the same period last year, building capacity for continuity of care and improving access so that patients can be seen when they need to be in primary care.In the 2025/26 GP contract, a new domain was introduced into the Capacity and Access Improvement Payment which incentivises primary care networks to risk stratify their patients in accordance with need including to identify those that would benefit most from continuity of care.

What assessment has his department made of the potential impact of access targets on continuity of care.

The Government values continuity in general practice, but this is not inconsistent with efforts to improve access, such as via the 24-hour access target where urgent treatment is required.In the 2025/26 contract, one of the domains of the Capacity and Access Improvement Payment, worth £29.2 million, incentivises primary care networks to risk stratify their patients in accordance with need for continuity. This allows general practitioners (GPs) to deliver care to meet the specific needs of their patients.We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in GPs to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26, which is the biggest cash increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP Contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the National Health Service budget as a whole.Over ten million more GP appointments have been delivered in the 12 months to September 2025 compared to the same period last year, building capacity for continuity of care and improving access so that patients can be seen when they need to be in primary care. Patient satisfaction with access has improved significantly, rising from 61% in July 2024 to 74% in July 2025, marking a 13-percentage-point increase over the last year.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Gloucester City Council's finances on local government reorganisation in Gloucestershire.

We have made no such assessment at this stage. On 28 November we received proposals for unitary councils from Gloucestershire councils, which included information on efficiencies and financial sustainability. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance, responses to the statutory consultation and the available evidence. Gloucester City Council have indicated publicly that they may need to seek Exceptional Financial Support from Government. The Department stands ready to talk to any council that is worried about its financial position.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of migration of British nationals from the UK on the economy.

Estimates of net migration patterns of British Citizens are made by ONS. The impact on the economy will depend on characteristics of those leaving. Further information on those leaving can be found: Long-term international immigration, emigration and net migration flows, provisional - Office for National Statistics.In their November 2025 release, ONS used a new method for estimating British nationals migration, affecting data from the year ending June 2021 onwards. This involved moving away from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) to a new method based on the Department for Work and Pension's (DWP's) Registration and Population Interaction Database (RAPID). This means the most recent data is not comparable with estimated before June 2021. Further information can be found in the ONS report: Improving long-term international migration statistics, updating our methods and estimates - Office for National Statistics.

What assessment her Department has made of the reasons for the negative net migration of British nationals from the UK in recent years.

Estimates of net migration patterns of British Citizens are made by ONS. The impact on the economy will depend on characteristics of those leaving. Further information on those leaving can be found: Long-term international immigration, emigration and net migration flows, provisional - Office for National Statistics.In their November 2025 release, ONS used a new method for estimating British nationals migration, affecting data from the year ending June 2021 onwards. This involved moving away from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) to a new method based on the Department for Work and Pension's (DWP's) Registration and Population Interaction Database (RAPID). This means the most recent data is not comparable with estimated before June 2021. Further information can be found in the ONS report: Improving long-term international migration statistics, updating our methods and estimates - Office for National Statistics.

Communities and Local Government, when his Department intends to publish the Future Homes Standard.

The Government understands the urgency of introducing new energy efficiency standards so that as many homes as possible are highly efficient and use low-carbon heating. We are carefully considering at what level to set the technical requirements of the Future Homes Standard to deliver an ambitious standard that is on track to achieve our net zero ambitions while also being achievable across the country. The Future Homes Standard will be delivered in the coming months.

With reference to the Home Office’s policy paper entitled Restoring order and control: a statement on the Government’s asylum and returns policy, published on 17 November 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Home Office’s proposed legislation on the duty for public bodies to prioritise vulnerable children, as set out in the Children Act 1989.

The department will work with the Home Office as they carefully consider the appropriate pathways and wider provision for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and asylum-seeking families with children. We will continue to focus on ensuring vulnerable children are protected and their welfare safeguarded.

With reference to her department’s policy paper entitled Restoring order and control: a statement on the Government’s asylum and returns policy, published on 17 November 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed legislation on the duty for public bodies to prioritise vulnerable children, as set out in the Children Act 1989.

In developing our policies, we will take full account of the specific needs and vulnerabilities of children and ensure these considerations inform policy development and relevant impact assessments. This will include consideration of our duties under Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act and how this relates to local authorities duties under the Children Act 1989.

With reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Restoring order and control: a statement on the Government’s asylum and returns policy, published on 17 November 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed legislation on the legal duty for the Home Office to safeguard and promote the welfare of vulnerable children, as set out in the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.

In developing our policies, we will take full account of the specific needs and vulnerabilities of children and ensure these considerations inform policy development and relevant impact assessments. This will include consideration of our duties under Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act and how this relates to local authorities duties under the Children Act 1989.

What safeguards her department are considering against instances where AI systems used to determine age produce incorrect results.

This government has commissioned work to further test and trial Facial Age Estimation technology with a view to integrating it into the age assessment system subject to the results of this testing and assurance.Assessing age is a complex task and no method or combination of methods can definitively determine age. The need to protect against incorrect results will form a key part of our testing and assurance, and subsequent policy development.The technology will not be used in isolation but is intended to provide additional information to the decision maker.

With reference to the Home Office policy paper entitled Restoring Order and Control: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy, updated 20 November 2025, what assessment has the Attorney General made of how changes to the interpretation of Article 8 will impact the number of cases being escalated to Strasbourg.

This Labour government is committed to bringing back control and fairness to our border.By long-standing convention, the fact that I, or a fellow Law Officer, may have advised or not advised, as well as the content of our advice, is not disclosed outside government.As explained in Erskine May: “By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

What estimate her Department has made of the costs of deporting migrants through return hubs.

The Prime Minister has been clear since entering government that we need to have innovative and bold solutions to reduce the burden of migration on UK taxpayers. It would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of ongoing negotiations and further details will be released in due course. Our guiding principle will always be something that is workable and meets international obligations.

What criteria her Department will use to designate a country as safe.

The asylum and returns policy statement sets out the intention to deal swiftly with unmeritorious protection claims that are made by nationals of manifestly safe countries in an attempt to frustrate their removal. In this context, an unmeritorious claim is one which is so lacking in merit that it can be appropriately considered following a single interview.This policy does not relate to any designation of a specific country as manifestly safe, but rather a holistic assessment of whether there is a basis on which a prolonged assessment of a claim is required, for example through an additional interview. This is distinct from existing legislative provisions (under s94 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002) which allow all or part of a country to be designated as safe, for the purposes of assessing whether a claim should be certified as clearly unfounded.

With reference to her 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 are the criteria for refugees to become eligible for the work and study route.

The earned settlement consultation launched on 20 November 2025.