Written questions by Martin.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 63473 on Origin Marking: Occupied Territories, how many compliance checks HMRC undertook to identify whether goods labelled as originating from Israel were produced in Israeli settlements located in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in 2024; and how many of those checks identified (a) non-compliance and (b) the mislabelling of goods.

The UK Government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law, and that goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the UK’s trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Israel. HMRC takes a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to tariff enforcement and routinely checks the accuracy of customs declarations. Such checks include checking material particulars such as the declared origin, value and classification of goods. Checks are conducted where risk analysis or intelligence indicates potential non-compliance, and in cases where there is a risk of customs duty under-declaration. HMRC does not publish details of numbers of checks in relation to specific countries of origin or the outcomes of those checks. However, HMRC confirms that regular and proportionate checks are carried out on Israeli goods in which they are subject to verification to check their originating status.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 61108 on Import Duties: Israeli Settlements, what compliance checks HMRC undertakes to identify goods whether goods labelled as originating from Israel were produced in Israeli settlements located in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; what estimate HMRC has made of the number and proportion of goods imported from Israel which are labelled as produced in Israel but were produced in Occupied Palestinian Territories; and whether HMRC levies sanctions in relation to the mislabelling of goods.

The UK Government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law. Goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the UK’s current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Government of Israel Where there are doubts about the origin of goods that have been declared as being of Israeli origin, HMRC will undertake checks to verify the origin of those goods to ensure fiscal compliance. HMRC does not however provide specific details regarding checks as it may serve to undermine compliance activity HMRC encourages members of the public to report cases of potentially fraudulent activity either via the ‘report fraud to HMRC’ function on GOV.UK or the HMRC fraud hotline on 0800 788 887 available Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. HMRC takes such matters seriously and investigates them in detail The overseas business risk guidance, available on GOV.UK, provides information for UK operators on how goods from Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories should be labelled. Data on imports from Israel are available from UK Trade Info: uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/.

Innovation and Technology, what his planned timetable is for implementing the reforms to the Electronic Communications Code through the Product Security and Telecommunications Act 2022.

Most reforms to the Electronic Communications Code through the Product Security and Telecommunications Act 2022 have already been implemented. Government is committed to implementing the remaining provisions as soon as possible. A technical consultation on provisions from the Act that - when commenced - make changes to the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and the Business Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 is open until 2 July. We expect to publish a response to this consultation later this year. The exact timeframe depends on the responses to the consultation and issues raised.

What was the total value of imports from Israel that were deemed ineligible for preferential tariff treatment under the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement in 2024.

The UK Government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law. Goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the UK’s current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Government of Israel Where there are doubts about the origin of goods that have been declared as being of Israeli origin, HMRC will undertake checks to verify the origin of those goods to ensure fiscal compliance. HMRC does not however provide specific details regarding checks as it may serve to undermine compliance activity HMRC encourages members of the public to report cases of potentially fraudulent activity either via the ‘report fraud to HMRC’ function on GOV.UK or the HMRC fraud hotline on 0800 788 887 available Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. HMRC takes such matters seriously and investigates them in detail The overseas business risk guidance, available on GOV.UK, provides information for UK operators on how goods from Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories should be labelled. Data on imports from Israel are available from UK Trade Info: uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/.

What guidance her Department issues to Access to Work case managers on reducing costs.

At present no guidance has been issued explicitly advising Access to Work Case Managers on reducing costs. There is however guidance related to: the banded rate information for the different types of Support Worker (SW)the requirement for three quotes for the Special Aids and Equipment (SAE) element when the cost of an item is £1000 or morethe links to websites that provide suggested taxi fare ratesand the overarching principles of Access to Work which include value for money which provide guidance to case managers on reasonable costs and to provide value for money.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of reopening closed passenger rail lines.

This Spending Review shows the government’s commitment to investment in the railways and in schemes that support economic growth. The settlement represents an increase in funding on what has been spent on rail enhancements in recent years. While some key schemes have already been referenced by the Chancellor, my officials are now working to confirm our wider portfolio of rail enhancements, which will be published as part of the government’s commitment to set out its overall infrastructure pipeline. The Restoring Your Railway programme was closed by the government as announced by the Chancellor in July 2024 and currently has no plans to revisit this decision. Most of the Restoring Your Railway schemes that were announced by the previous government were unfunded, which is why the programme was closed. It is possible that Local Transport Authorities may wish to press ahead with developing individual local rail enhancement projects for funding in the future as this government believes that local authorities are best placed to advocate for projects that will most benefit their local areas. The aim is to encourage strong business cases that effectively identify the optimal transport solution supporting growth, more homes and increased job opportunities.

What discussions her Department has had with (a) police forces and (b) community groups on the potential impact of Respect Orders on community cohesion.

Respect Orders, which were introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill in February, will be behavioural court orders which focus on combatting anti-social behaviour. We have undertaken extensive consultation with policing partners, including the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), and other key stakeholders in the Anti-social Behaviour sector to ensure the Respect Order will be as effective as possible.Respect Orders will enable courts to ban adult offenders from engaging in harmful anti-social behaviour. They can also compel adult perpetrators to take action to address the root cause of their behaviour.Breach of the order will be a criminal offence, allowing the police to arrest anyone suspected of breach. Courts will have a wide range of sentencing options, including community orders, unlimited fines and, for the most severe cases, imprisonment.The Respect Order will be piloted prior to national rollout to ensure it is as effective as possible.

What information he holds on the number of patients waiting longer than the Kent Integrated Dermatology Service's four week deadline for issuing biopsy results, in each of the last six months.

The Department does not hold information on the number of patients waiting longer than four weeks for their biopsy results.The Government is spending £600 million of capital this year on diagnostics, including funding for the automation of histopathology laboratories, for the first time ever, to improve productivity. We are also funding all pathology networks to increase digital capabilities by March 2026, which will reduce unnecessary waits and repeat tests, to ensure that patients receive their results sooner, including those in Kent.

How much money the UK Government collected in 2024 from tariffs imposed on goods imported from illegal settlements within the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

HMRC only publish receipts at a national level, and they cannot be broken down further with sufficient accuracy, due to the way the information is captured.

Communities and Local Government, whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating more supported living accommodation for autistic adults.

The government recognises the important role played by supported housing in helping disabled, older and other vulnerable people to live safely, well and independently, including autistic adults. The 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme includes delivery of supported housing. Through the Spending Review announced on 11 June, we are providing the biggest boost to social and affordable housing investment in a generation, confirming £39 billion for a successor to the Affordable Homes Programme over 10 years from 2026-27 to 2035-36. We are also announcing a 10-year social housing rent settlement from 2026 at Consumer Price Index + 1%, alongside a consultation to follow shortly on how to implement social rent convergence.

What steps his Department is taking to improve ambulance response times in Tunbridge Wells.

The Government recognises the pressures on the National Health Service and the impact this is having on ambulance response times, including in Tunbridge Wells.We are determined to turn things around, and our 10-Year Health Plan will be published in the summer, setting out major NHS reforms to move healthcare from the hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.The NHS Urgent and Emergency care plan 2025/26, published on 6 June 2025, requires health systems to focus on those areas likely to have the biggest impact on urgent and emergency care services this year. The plan includes actions that will reduce category 2 ambulance response times to 30 minutes and reduce ambulance handovers to 45 minutes, helping to get 550,000 more ambulances back on the road.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2025 to Question 56005 on Visas: Health Professions, what provisions are in place to appeal visa applications for dependents of skilled health workers that were rejected due to issues with birth certificates issued by the country of origin.

Individuals in those circumstances are entitled to apply for an administrative review of the decision. If they wish to challenge the outcome of that review, they can apply for judicial review.There is no right to an appeal or an administrative review of a decision to reject an invalid application. Such decisions are subject to judicial review.

How many visa applications for dependents of skilled health workers were rejected due to issues with birth certificates issued by the country of origin in 2024.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of implementing the Firearms Act 2023 without a transitional period to apply for personal firearm certificates on miniature rifle clubs.

The Firearms Act 2023 introduced legislation to strengthen firearms controls by making it a requirement for the operator of a miniature rifle range to have a firearm certificate and undergo police licensing checks.The Firearms Act 2023 was commenced on 1 May 2025 and police forces had been preparing for implementation in advance of this date, including by considering applications from miniature rifle club operators prior to commencement to ensure that operators could comply with the requirements of the new legislation.

If he will take steps to review regional differences in the (a) diagnosis, (b) treatment and (c) ongoing care for people with coeliac disease across NHS services in England.

Most services for long-term conditions, including for people with coeliac disease, are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). It is the responsibility of ICBs, working with clinicians, service users, and patient groups, to develop local services and care pathways that meet patients’ needs. The Government expects ICBs to take account of relevant guidelines and best practice in designing their local services, and to ensure consistency of approaches between ICBs.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) publishes guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of conditions for use by healthcare professionals and commissioners in England. NICE guidelines are not mandatory and do not replace the judgement of clinicians in determining the most appropriate treatment for individual patients.The NICE guideline, Coeliac disease: recognition, assessment and management, published in 2015 and reviewed in 2019, is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng20The NICE also publishes clinical knowledge summaries (CKS) as a source of information mainly for national Health Service staff working in primary care. A CKS on the clinical management of coeliac disease, which was last revised in May 2020, is available at the following link:https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/coeliac-disease/We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS and improve care for people, including those with long-term conditions like coeliac disease. A central and core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to make it more accessible, proactive, and tailored for patients wherever they live in England.

How many private homes adaptation were (a) completed on schedule and (b) were completed behind schedule by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation in 2024; and how many of those projects are still incomplete.

In 2024 the Defence Infrastructure Organisation completed three private home adaptation projects, all of which were completed on schedule.

What recent discussions she has had with Student Finance England on the (a) ease of access to and (a) adequacy its customer services.

Student Finance England (SFE) is part of the Student Loans Company (SLC). The SLC is a wholly owned government company which delivers student finance services to students on behalf of the four UK Governments (the shareholders).The department is responsible for oversight of the SLC, and my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills meets regularly with the SLC chair and chief executive. Alongside the other shareholders, the department sets key performance targets in the SLC Annual Performance and Resource Agreement. These targets include measures for customer service and satisfaction and are monitored at the SLC Board and through Board committees. The department and the shareholders scrutinise data relating to the quality of customer experience, including call response times and contact resolution.Since the 2022/23 financial year the SLC has invested in improving its digital platforms for students and customers. Customers now have a variety of options to contact the SLC, including online account interactions, virtual assistants, live chat, social media and by telephone or in writing.The SLC reports on customer satisfaction targets for applicants, students, sponsors, and customers in its Annual Report and Accounts. The most recent publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/slc-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-to-2024/slc-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-2024.

What steps he is taking to help improve access to NHS services for deaf people.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of their local population, including deaf people.Under the Equality Act (2010), health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged. The Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag was developed in the National Repository to enable health and care workers to record, share, and view details of reasonable adjustments, across the National Health Service and social care, wherever the person is seen or treated. Following the launch of the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag Information Standard, published September 2023, the flag went live in the National Care Record Service and is being rolled out across England. Since 2016, all NHS organisations and publicly funded social care providers are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the recommended approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of patients and carers with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss, including deaf people. NHS England has been undertaking a review of the AIS to help ensure that the communication needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss are met in health and care provision. A revised AIS will be published in due course. In the meantime, the current AIS remains in force and therefore there should not be a gap in provision for people using services.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating new cars sold to have speed limiters.

We currently have no plans to introduce mandatory speed limiters for new vehicles.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the rule change preventing nurseries and preschools from charging for additional hours on the financial viability of early years providers; and what steps she is taking to support childcare providers with operational costs.

It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.The department does not prevent early education and childcare providers from charging parents for hours that are additional to any government funded early education place to which they are entitled. These are a private transaction between parents and their provider.However, where providers agree to offer early education entitlements places that are funded by the taxpayer, it is a statutory requirement that those places must be available free of charge to parents. This means that mandatory charges associated with entitlements places are not permitted, and this was confirmed by the High Court in February this year. However, as departmental statutory guidance sets out, providers may offer and charge parents for food and extras, such as nappies, on an optional basis.Next year alone, the department plans to provide over £8 billion for the early years entitlements. This is a more than 30% increase compared to 2024/25.The government is delivering the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45% to up to £570 per eligible child per year.The department has confirmed funding rates for 2025/26 and announced a new £75 million expansion grant to support providers to deliver the additional staff and places required for next September.A further £37 million of capital funding has been allocated to create or expand 300 school-based nurseries.