Written questions by Coyle.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that Motability vehicles benefit the person they are intended to support.

The Motability Foundation (Motability) is a registered charity, incorporated by Royal Charter, to help disabled people with their mobility and transport needs. Only those claimants in receipt of an eligible benefit can choose to join the Motability Scheme. When a claimant elects to join the Scheme, the Department directly transfers the mobility allowance to Motability Operations on behalf of the eligible claimant. Any misuse of a scheme vehicle is taken very seriously, and Motability Operations has a dedicated unit that works to prevent, detect and handle such cases, taking action as appropriate.

Which stakeholders (a) he and (b) his officials have met with while (i) preparing, (ii) publishing and (iii) bringing forward the Mental Health Bill.

The reforms delivered by the Mental Health Bill reflect the recommendations made by the Independent Review into the Mental Health Act, which engaged widely with stakeholders, including people with lived experience. There was extensive consultation following this to develop the draft bill, most notably in the Government’s White Paper, Reforming the Mental Health Act. Since the initial draft bill, we have taken on board several recommendations from the pre-legislative scrutiny committee, which heard from a wide range of stakeholders and organisations representing service users, patients, and professionals.Soon after the Mental Health Bill’s introduction to the House of Lords on 6 November 2024, the Department held a ministerial roundtable to discuss the content of the bill’s reforms with stakeholder groups, and a wider virtual meeting to update a broader range of stakeholders. Engagement has continued throughout the bill’s passage.

Whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have met with the Bring People Home from Psychiatric Hospital campaign to discuss the Mental Health Bill.

Engagement with stakeholders and people with lived experience is central to the progression of these reforms, and we will consult and engage as we move to implementation planning, including on revisions to the Mental Health Act Code of Practice. The Department recognises the important work of the Bring People Home from Psychiatric Hospital network. A meeting to discuss the Mental Health Bill has not taken place with this network to date.

How many people with autism have been sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last five years.

The following table shows the number of autistic people admitted to mental health inpatient care under the Mental Health Act 1983 within each year between 2020 and 2024, based on the Assuring Transformation data collection as of 28 February 2025:YearNumber of autistic people admitted to mental health inpatient care under the Mental Health Act 1983202063520217152022820202390520241,015Source: Assuring Transformation data collection, NHS England.Notes:counts are rounded to the nearest five, in line with the Assuring Transformation disclosure control rules, to protect patient confidentiality;this data includes people recorded as being autistic with no learning disability, and those with a learning disability who are also autistic, who were admitted to mental health inpatient care under the Mental Health Act 1983 within each year between 2020 and 2024. Where a person was admitted under the Mental Health Act more than once in the year, they are only counted once;this data excludes people recorded as detained under other acts, for instance the Criminal Procedure (Insanity) Act 1964, or the Mental Capacity Act, and those who are recorded as informal patients; andAssuring Transformation is a live data set and the information on a person’s stay in hospital, including legal status, may be updated in the record if the person’s status changes. These counts will reflect legal status, as defined by the Mental Health Act legal status classification code, and as it is recorded in the latest data cut, which for some patients may not reflect their status on admission.

How her Department ensures the adequacy of Motability vehicles for users.

Motability Foundation is independent of government and regulated by the Charity Commission so is wholly responsible for the terms and the administration of the Scheme.As Motability is independent of government, the management of the scheme rests with them and their respective Boards of Governors. As such, any questions regarding the adequacy of Motability vehicles should be directed to the Motability scheme.

What steps his Department plans to take to support households with district heating with increases in energy costs.

The Government is introducing regulation in January 2026 which aims to provide district heating consumers with comparable protections to existing gas and electricity regulations. The heat network regulator, Ofgem, will have powers to investigate and intervene where heat network prices charged to consumers appear to be disproportionate or unfair. Ofgem’s regulatory oversight will be supplemented by statutory redress through the Energy Ombudsman who, from April 2025, will have the same powers to hear complaints and make legally binding decisions as they do in gas and electricity markets. Consumers will also be able to seek advice and advocacy assistance through Citizens Advice.

Whether her Department has plans to change supported housing rules and regulations to allow disabled people to work more hours if they can; and whether she has plans to (a) monitor and (b) enforce how employers implement reasonable adjustments to work practices for disabled people.

The Department acknowledges there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those living in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation and receiving their housing support through Housing Benefit. The department will consider the issue carefully in partnership with stakeholders. Despite this challenge, the Housing Benefit taper ensures a person is better off in work than wholly reliant on benefits. In addition to any financial advantage, there are important non-financial benefits of working. These benefits include learning new skills, improved confidence and independence, as well as a positive effect on an individual's mental and physical health. It is recognised that employers play an important role in supporting disabled people and those with health conditions. Our support to employers includes a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident Scheme. Employers must comply with the Equality Act 2010, including making reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and job applicants. The Government keeps the Equality Act 2010 under review, but no formal review is planned at this time.

Whether he plans to facilitate access to professional indemnity insurance for self-employed midwives.

In England, most National Health Services are covered by the state indemnity schemes administered by NHS Resolution. Therefore, midwives working in NHS trusts, other member organisations, and general practices are covered by the state indemnity schemes, namely the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) and the Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice, respectively. Where self-employed midwives are not covered by state schemes, they need to obtain independent cover which is mainly through regulated insurance or via discretionary indemnity offered primarily by medical defence organisations.In 2020, the difficulty in accessing indemnity was highlighted by self-employed midwives. Alternative arrangements were agreed via an NHS contract which enabled self-employed midwives to be covered by the state scheme, the CNST. A number use this model, although we understand some do not.The Department is currently considering policy measures to address gaps in the clinical indemnities system. We would be happy to take further evidence from self-employed midwives to determine issues specific to them and the scale of the problem.

Whether he is taking steps to support self-employed midwives.

Independent midwives make a valuable contribution to midwifery services across the country. As they are not employed by the National Health Service, we do not have any influence over their pay or terms and conditions, or how they access learning, development, and pastoral support. Many self-employed midwives are members of Independent Midwifery UK, which does offer support and mentoring.Local employers who work with self-employed midwives are best placed to determine what additional support they can offer, in the interests of delivering high quality services.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the No Recourse to Public Funds policy on trends in the level of child poverty.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity.The government is working to develop a strategy to drive forward short and long-term actions to reduce child poverty.The strategy will consider levers to alleviate poverty experienced by all children in the UK, regardless of immigration status, including children either subject to or impacted by the No Recourse to Public Funds policy.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of updating guidance issued to police authorities to allow officers to knock suspected criminals off push bikes, in line with moped guidance.

The College of Policing has issued guidance on when a roads policing pursuit is justified and proportionate, the Home Office has no plans to issue its own updated guidance on roads policing pursuits involving push bikes.Any decision on when it is appropriate to use tactical contact is an operational matter for the police as outlined in the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice on Police Pursuits.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of holiday lets on the affordability of rents; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of giving councils greater licensing powers to regulate the (a) number and (b) use of holiday lets.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 13348 on 18 November 2024.

If she will engage with (a) the British Healthcare Trades Association and (b) other organisations in the first aid industry on the (i) adequacy and (ii) accessibility of first aid provisions in the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill does not include a specific requirement relating to the provision of first aid or associated equipment.The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 already make requirements for employers, including provision of adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work.The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) oversee compliance with the regulations. Where appropriate, the HSE engages with a range of stakeholders within the medical and first aid sector, including standard setters in the first aid industry, such as St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross.Wider work is ongoing to strengthen Healthcare Standards. The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) is working with partners to put in place updated guidance for health care at events. Once published the Event Healthcare Standard will be assessed in partnership with NHS England to determine whether this standard should become a statutory obligation.The Home Office will continue to engage with sectors within the scope of the legislation, to support them to understand their obligations.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of Building Safety Regulator processing speeds; and what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of those speeds on the delivery of approved buildings.

We are aware that there have been delays for applicants using the building regulation approval process for Higher Risk Buildings. The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has told applicants to currently plan on the basis of 20 weeks to clear gateway two, although we are seeing signs that this processing time is improving. This is compared to the Service Level Agreement (SLA) of 12 weeks for new builds. We recognise that changes are still bedding in and the BSR is a regulator in its infancy. However, it is clear that the sector must also take responsibility for the projects they deliver. We understand the BSR have rejected a significant number of Gateway Two applications for failing to meet the building safety regulatory standards. The BSR continue to support applicants to ensure they are meeting the functional requirements of the building regulations and guidance is available to support them in understanding their duties. MHCLG and BSR have taken the following actions, which are embedding, to enable applications to be processed more efficiently: The BSR has recruited additional personnel and they are starting to process applications; the department has granted funding to HSE this financial year to improve its infrastructure, training and processes to maximise the BSR’s efficiency and effectiveness; MHCLG and the BSR are also reviewing how the multidisciplinary teams which assess applications are resourced to enable faster stand-up times; the Government has invested in new local authority building control inspectors to support the BSR; the Government has provided funding to support additional Fire and Rescue (FRS) staff to support the BSR and work to recruit and train these additional staff is well underway.

If (a) she and (b) her Department will hold discussions with the British Healthcare Trades Association on the role of first aid kits in ensuring public safety in the context of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill does not include a specific requirement relating to the provision of first aid or associated equipment.The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 already make requirements for employers, including provision of adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work.The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) oversee compliance with the regulations. Where appropriate, the HSE engages with a range of stakeholders within the medical and first aid sector, including standard setters in the first aid industry, such as St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross.Wider work is ongoing to strengthen Healthcare Standards. The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) is working with partners to put in place updated guidance for health care at events. Once published the Event Healthcare Standard will be assessed in partnership with NHS England to determine whether this standard should become a statutory obligation.The Home Office will continue to engage with sectors within the scope of the legislation, to support them to understand their obligations.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to issue new guidance to help reduce Building Safety Regulator workload.

We are aware that there have been delays for applicants using the building regulation approval process for Higher Risk Buildings. The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has told applicants to currently plan on the basis of 20 weeks to clear gateway two, although we are seeing signs that this processing time is improving. This is compared to the Service Level Agreement (SLA) of 12 weeks for new builds. We recognise that changes are still bedding in and the BSR is a regulator in its infancy. However, it is clear that the sector must also take responsibility for the projects they deliver. We understand the BSR have rejected a significant number of Gateway Two applications for failing to meet the building safety regulatory standards. The BSR continue to support applicants to ensure they are meeting the functional requirements of the building regulations and guidance is available to support them in understanding their duties. MHCLG and BSR have taken the following actions, which are embedding, to enable applications to be processed more efficiently: The BSR has recruited additional personnel and they are starting to process applications; the department has granted funding to HSE this financial year to improve its infrastructure, training and processes to maximise the BSR’s efficiency and effectiveness; MHCLG and the BSR are also reviewing how the multidisciplinary teams which assess applications are resourced to enable faster stand-up times; the Government has invested in new local authority building control inspectors to support the BSR; the Government has provided funding to support additional Fire and Rescue (FRS) staff to support the BSR and work to recruit and train these additional staff is well underway.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of access to digital gates at Border Control for British National (Overseas) passport holders; and what steps she is taking to ensure equitable treatment for those passport holders.

e-Passport Gates (eGates) continue to provide a safe, secure and efficient way for millions of British and Irish citizens, and nationals of the EU/EEA, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the USA to enter the UK each year.We keep eGate eligibility under regular review to ensure we are maintaining border security and effectively managing passenger flow through the UK border. The Government is committed to improving our border security and the passenger experience by continuing to look at options to increase the usage of eGates by those currently eligible and explore innovative technologies to increase the use of automation at the UK border.

If he will bring forward legislative proposals to enhance the powers of (a) police forces and (b) other relevant authorities under the Digital Markets Act to require the removal of dangerous items for sale on online platforms.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act will allow all public enforcers of consumer law, including Trading Standards, to apply for online interface orders to take down digital content that breaks the law. These powers are planned to commence in April. Government recently introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, which will allow Government to update the product regulatory framework to better protect consumers from unsafe products, including those sold online. The Bill will allow Government to introduce regulations that provide powers for Relevant Authorities to take action against non-compliance with product safety requirements, including those introduced on online platforms.

If she will bring forward legislative proposals to provide police forces with the power to require the removal of (a) dangerous items and (b) content (i) online and (ii) for sale online.

The Online Safety Act requires platforms to take action to prevent the proliferation of illegal content online and ensure that their services are not used for offending. This means they will need to proactively mitigate the risk that their services are used for illegal activity or to share illegal content, and to design their services to mitigate the risk of this occurring.Ofcom has now laid the first edition of the Illegal Harms Codes in Parliament, setting out what platforms need to do to comply with the Online Safety Act. These will come into force, subject to Parliamentary approval, on the 17th of March 2025. Firms do not need to wait for these duties to come into effect and can act now.Ofcom has a tough suite of enforcement powers to use against companies who fail to fulfil their duties. This includes fines of up to £18 million or 10 per cent of qualifying annual global turnover (whichever is greater).The Home Secretary has also outlined measures to prevent the online sale of knives and other weapons to children to reduce knife crime. We have already banned deadly zombie-style knives and machetes and are fast progressing with banning Ninja swords. We have also consulted on introducing personal liability measures on senior executives of online platforms and marketplaces who fail to take action to remove illegal content related to knives and offensive weapons off their platforms and marketplaces. The consultation closed on 11 December 2024 and we are currently analysing the responses. The Home Secretary has also announced that the Government intends to strengthen age verification controls and checks for all online sellers of knives at the point of purchase and on delivery.

If she will make an estimate of the potential economic benefits of entering European Union customs union membership.

No. The Government is working with the EU to identify areas where we can strengthen cooperation for mutual benefit, such as the economy, energy, security and resilience. There will be no return to the customs union. We are committed to finding constructive ways to work together and deliver for the British people.