Written questions by Duncan-Jordan.

Pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2026 to question 105956, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the impact of the immigration white paper on NHS and social workers.

My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department on a range of subjects, including immigration policy.The Government has published an Impact Assessment alongside the Spring 2025 Immigration Rules, which sets out the expected effects of the reforms on the Skilled Worker and Health and Care worker routes, including modelling of changes in overall visa volumes. The Impact Assessment is published on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-assessments-covering-migration-policyThe forthcoming 10-Year Health Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients when they need it. As part of that plan, we will outline strategies for improving retention, productivity, training, and reducing attrition, thereby enhancing conditions for all staff while gradually reducing reliance on international recruitment, without diminishing the value of their contributions.For adult social care, it is also the Government’s policy to reduce reliance on international recruitment and improve domestic recruitment and retention. We recognise the scale of reform needed to make the adult social care attractive as a career and are determined to ensure that those who work in care are respected as professionals. We are introducing a new Fair Pay Agreement for Adult Social Care, implementing the first universal career structure for adult social care, and providing £12 million this year for staff to complete training and qualifications.

What data her Department holds on the number of NHS and social care workers impacted by the Immigration White Paper in (a) Poole constituency and (b) the UK.

The Spring 2025 Impact Assessment (published here: Impact assessments covering migration policy - GOV.UK) provides the Department’s estimates on the volumes of impacted care and senior care workers resulting from the Immigration White Paper proposals. Place-based impacts are estimated at a regional level in the impact assessment.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued guidance to local authorities on the assessment of entitlement to a Council Tax reduction for residents who are in receipt of Universal Credit.

The department has not issued any recent guidance to local authorities on the assessment of entitlement to a council tax reduction for residents who are in receipt of Universal Credit. The administration of council tax reduction for working-age claimants is the responsibility of local authorities. The government encourages taxpayers who are in hardship to contact their local authority to discuss their options.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to ratify the UN High Seas Treaty by June 2026.

Following Royal Assent of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Act (BBNJ), further secondary legislation is required before the BBNJ Agreement can be ratified by the UK. This will happen when the parliamentary timetable allows.

If she will publish an impact assessment for the proposals in the White Paper for Immigration.

The Spring 2025 and Autumn 2025 Impact Assessments (published here: Impact assessments covering migration policy - GOV.UK) cover the proposals in the White Paper for Immigration.Specifically, they cover proposals relating to the Skilled Worker route, Health and Care route, Student and Graduate route, HPI route, Global Talent route and the proposed changes to English Language Requirements and the Immigration Skills Charge.

What data her Department holds on the age of those responsible for road accidents.

Data on road collisions involving personal injury are reported to the Department by police forces in Great Britain via the STATS19 system. The latest year for which data is available is 2024. STATS19 does not assign blame to any party involved in a collision. The number of drivers involved in road traffic collisions by age, in Great Britain for the least 10 years can be found in table RAS0501 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/reported-road-accidents-vehicles-and-casualties-tables-for-great-britain#vehicles-and-drivers-ras05.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the health of the sea horse population in Poole harbour.

Protected sites do afford some protection to habitats associated with seahorses. Seahorses are also a protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; but the legislation makes no provision for monitoring or reporting on the condition of the population. Seahorses are known to be present in Poole Harbour and seahorse surveys have been carried out by the Seahorse Trust; evidence of their presence has also been identified from surveys not focused on the species. Collectively the evidence indicates a resident population of seahorses found year-round in the harbour.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to allow areas that do not have a mayor to introduce a visitor levy.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 105024 on 19 January 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, what timescale her Department has for banning trophy hunting imports.

The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. Timeframes for introducing legislation will be provided once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is determined.

How much interest payments will cost for new neighbourhood health centres.

In the Autumn Budget 2025, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) would be created using a mix of public and private finance. 250 NHCs will be delivered through upgrading and repurposing existing buildings, and building new facilities through a combination of public sector investment and a new model of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).The Department is supporting the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority to develop the new PPP model for NHCs. The new NHC PPP model will build on lessons from the past including the National Audit Office’s 2025 report on private finance and other models currently in use. This report is available at the following link:https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/lessons-learned-private-finance-for-infrastructure.pdfThis model is currently in development, therefore interest payments for NHCs using PPPs have not yet been calculated.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of reducing the rate of VAT on retail, hospitality and leisure from 20% to 13% on that sector.

The Government recognises the significant contribution made by retail and hospitality businesses to economic growth and social life in the UK. VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. HMRC estimates that the cost of reducing the 20 per cent Standard Rate of VAT on all accommodation and food and beverage services would be as follows in 2026-27: (a) to 15%: £5 billion, (b) to 12.5%: £8 billion (c) to 10%: £10.5 billion, (d) to 5%: £17 billion, (e) to 0%: £23.5 billion. Including retail would add to that significant cost.

What estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of new neighbourhood health centres.

At the Autumn Budget, we announced our commitment to deliver 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) through the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme. This will deliver NHCs through a mixture of refurbishments to expand and improve sites over the next three years, and new build sites opening in the medium term.The first 120 NHCs are due to be operational by 2030 and will be delivered through a mixture of public private partnerships (PPP) and public capital. 50 of these will be delivered through refurbishments and 70 will be new builds. This includes refurbishments to the Alfred Barrow Health Centre in Barrow-in-Furness, the Stockland Green and Summerfield Primary Care Centres in Birmingham, and the Jubilee Gardens Centre in Ealing. Further information on NHCs and funding will be published over the coming months.

What information his Department holds on the number of pensioners whose sole income is the (a) basic and (b) full new State Pension.

Findings from the Pensioners’ Incomes Series show that, in 2023/24, around 1.1 million pensioner families (i.e. singles or couples) in the UK received the State Pension together with other state benefits as their sole sources of income. However, this does not indicate the amount of State Pension received or whether the State Pension received was the basic or new State Pension. This information is published in the Pensioners' Incomes series.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to prevent properties being incorrectly designated as short term lets.

There is no single, consistently applied definition of a short-term let. The Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 defines a “short-term rental property” as (a) a dwelling, or part of a dwelling, which is provided by a person (“the host”) to another person (“the guest”) for use by the guest as accommodation other than the guest’s only or principal residence, in return for payment (whether or not by the guest), and in the course of a trade or business carried on by the host, and (b) any dwelling or premises, or part of a dwelling or premises, not falling within paragraph (a) which is specified for the purposes of this paragraph. For local property taxation purposes, whether a short-term let is assessed for business rates or council tax will depend on how many nights the property is available to let each year and how many nights it was actually let. Properties must have been available for short-term letting for at least 140 days in the previous year and demonstrate at least 70 days of actual letting activity in the previous year before they can be assessed for business rates. The Valuation Office Agency has a duty to maintain accurate council tax and business rates lists.

If she will review the awarding of the contract for DVLA required eye tests to Specsavers.

Following an open and fair competition, the current contract for Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) required eyesight tests was awarded to Specsavers in February 2025 and commenced on 1 April 2025. The contract is for three years, with the option to extend for two further oneyear periods. The DVLA will consider its future requirements for eyesight testing prior to the expiry of the current contract period. ‑year periods. The DVLA will consider its future requirements for eyesight testing prior to the expiry of the current contract. The DVLA will consider the results of vision tests carried out by an optometrist or ophthalmologist other than Specsavers. However, such arrangements are at an individual’s own expense and the test must be carried out to the required specifications. If the test does not meet the appropriate specifications, the applicant may still be asked to attend a further examination with Specsavers.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help promote tourism in coastal communities.

DCMS is committed to ensuring that tourism contributes to growth and jobs across all parts of the country including in rural and coastal communities.The forthcoming Visitor Economy Growth Strategy will set out a long term plan to increase visitor flows across the UK, boost value, and deliver sustainable growth. Central to this strategy is the delivery of greater regional dispersal, ensuring that visitor income is spread effectively across regional destinations, including rural and coastal communities.VisitEngland is launching a major domestic marketing campaign pilot in February, specifically highlighting the seaside resorts of the North West. This initiative aims to drive a surge in visits and overnight stays during the vital shoulder season, providing essential year-round support for local businesses.

Whether eligible (a) prospective claimants not currently in receipt of Universal Credit and (b) existing Universal Credit claimants who do not receive the health element would be entitled to the rate of the health element of Universal Credit in force before 6 April 2026 where an application for that element is received by the Department for Work and Pensions on or before 5 April 2026, including in cases where eligibility is confirmed, a Work Capability Assessment is completed, or a decision on entitlement is made on or after 6 April 2026.

The Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance (Rates of Allowances) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 were laid in Parliament on 9 February 2026. The Regulations provide further detail on the application of the Universal Credit Act 2025 including the definition of a pre-6 April 2026 claimant confirming that claimants who declare a health condition or disability on or before 5 April 2026 and are found to have limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) will receive the higher rate of LCWRA. This applies even if their decision on entitlement is made on or after 6 April 2026.

If she will consider reducing the multiplier for pubs to 20p below the standard multiplier.

From April, every pub and live music venue will get 15% off its new business rates bill on top of the support announced at Budget and then bills will be frozen in real terms for a further two years. Three-quarters of pubs will see bills flat or falling in April. The new relief is worth £1,650 for the average pub next year. As a sector pubs will pay 8% less in business rates in 2029 than they do right now. The Government will also launch a review on how pubs are valued for business rates.

Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to publish a consultation on trail hunting; and with which organisations she plans to discuss the scope.

This Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. Defra will consult early this year on how to deliver a ban on trail hunting.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of using the 2023 valuations for business rates with multipliers of 0.2994 up to £51,000 and 0.333 over £51,000.

At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. In recognition of the impact of the revaluation on bills, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion, to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills. At Budget, the Government announced wider reforms to business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, reducing tax rates paid for by a higher rate on the top one per cent of most expensive properties. The introduction of permanent, lower RHL tax rates is worth almost £1 billion to over 750,000 RHL properties. The tax rate on smaller high street businesses will be 33% lower than for businesses with the most valuable properties. Furthermore, from April, every pub and live music venue will get 15% off its new business rates bill on top of the support announced at Budget, and then bills will be frozen in real terms for a further two years.