Written questions by O'Brien.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of transactions that will take place (a) up to £125,000, (b) from £125,001 to £250,000, (c) from £250,001 to £925,000, (d) from £925,001 to £1.5 million and (e) above £1.5 million in its forecast of residential Stamp Duty Land Tax receipts in the 2029-30 financial year.

A split of forecast property transactions by price band is not available. However, a forecast of overall property transactions from the Office for Budgetary Responsibility is available here: https://obr.uk/forecasts-in-depth/the-economy-forecast/housing-market/#transactions.

Representing the Church Commissioners, on what date the board of trustees will meet to approve the application for project spire; and when they plan to make an application to authorise an ex-gratia payment under section 106 of the Charities Act 2011 on the basis of a moral obligation.

The board of the Church Commissioners has authorised an application to register a new charity which it proposes to call the Fund for Healing, Repair and Justice. Subject to that application, the board would, in future, consider an application to authorise an ex-gratia payment under section 106 of the Charities Act 2011.

How many spousal visa applicants were exempted from the standard income threshold because their partner in the UK was receiving disability benefits in the last 12 months.

Data on the number of spousal visa applications which have been exempted from the standard income threshold does not form part of our data sets and is not published.Obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.A range of processing data including case outcomes on spousal visa applications, can be found at: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK and Migration transparency data - GOV.UK.

What estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of the increase in employer National Insurance contributions on receipts to the Exchequer from the charity and voluntary sector.

The Government recognises the important role charities play in our society and has made it a priority to reset the relationship with civil society by developing a Civil Society Covenant. A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer National Insurance contributions. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts. The Office for Budget Responsibility also published the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO), which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances.

Further to the Answer of 1 September 2025 to Question 69372 on Midland Main Line: Electrification, what is her Department's estimate of the cost of completing electrification of the Midland Main Line to Nottingham and Sheffield.

The Department’s most recent estimate to electrify the Midland Main Line to Nottingham and Sheffield was c. £1.5 billion, however, before the decision to pause the programme was confirmed, work was being undertaken by Network Rail to update their cost estimate. Since July, Network Rail have been making plans for their current activities in a way that enables work to be subsequently utilised. The design work that will be completed will enable a more robust and up to date cost estimate to be produced, as and when funding becomes available to complete electrification of the route.

How many pupils who did not have English as their first language had each different non-English language as their first language in each of the last 10 years.

The department collects data where a pupil’s first language is known or believed to be other than English. Where a pupil is recorded to speak a first language known or believed to be other than English, a language is recorded. The attached document shows the number of pupils in England, by first language spoken, over the last ten years.

When his Department plans to publish the report on the adult social care relative needs formula on the Adult Social Care Policy Research Unit Website.

The report on the adult social care relative needs formula was published on the Adult Social Care Policy Research Unit’s website in June 2025.The Department funds independent research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR).The publication of research is led by the research team. The views expressed in the outputs of the research are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department.

Representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2025 to Question 63010 on Church of England: Slavery, whether the £5 million to be spent on project Spire in the triennium spending plans 2026-28 remains the Church's forecast.

£5 million is not a forecast figure the Church Commissioners recognises in relation to the Spire programme in the triennium spending plans for 2026-28. The Church Commissioners’ triennium spending plan process involves forecasting high-level commitments over a three-year period to provide strategic direction and flexibility, recognising that actual costs and timings may vary across a multi-year programmeAs this is a figure the Hon. Member for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston has also mentioned in a prior question (UIN 63009) and during oral questions on 3 July 2025, I wish to clarify the Church Commissioners’ financing in relation to the Spire programme. In response to historic links to African chattel enslavement, the Church Commissioners has committed £100 million for a new charitable fund, to enable grant funding and further research. As per the answer to question UIN 63010, the Church Commissioners requires Charity Commission authorisation to settle income from its general fund on a new charitable fund to enact this response. Until such regulatory authorisation may be obtained, the Church Commissioners will not deploy any of the £100 million, which therefore remains in its general fund. As mentioned in answer to question UIN 63009, expenditure on this work to date, therefore, has been limited to proportionate research into the Church Commissioners’ source of funds and consideration of its response to that history.

What estimate her Department has made of the reduction in expenditure from the cancelling the electrification of the midland mainline north of Wigston.

The decisions taken in the Spending Review on rail enhancements were about prioritising the schemes that provided the greatest contribution to the government’s missions affordably. Rail enhancements are funded as a portfolio and this portfolio received increased funding from the Spending Review, meaning expenditure is expected to increase overall. The final investment decision on the electrification of the Midland Mainline north of Wigston had not been taken at the time of Spending Review, and it was not prioritised for progression in the period. While further Midland Main Line electrification is no longer expected to be funded over this Spending Review period, it has not been cancelled and will be kept under active review as part of our longer-term pipeline of schemes. This decision has not led to a reduction in expenditure on rail enhancements.

How many (a) general practices and (b) GP premises there were in each integrated care board area in each month since June 2024.

NHS England has provided a table showing the number of general practices (GPs) by integrated care board (ICB) and the number of branch surgeries by ICB. It also shows the number of GPs that opened and closed since June 2024 and the number of branch surgeries that opened and closed since June 2024. A copy of the table has been placed in the Library due to the size of the data.Updated data is published daily at 14:00. This information is available in the public domain and can be extracted by using the Data Search and Export website, at the following link: https://www.odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk/The data in the attachment is accurate as of 23 July 2025.

What information his Department holds on the number and what proportion of Universal Credit claimants who have (a) no qualifications, (b) Level 2 qualifications, (c) Level 3 qualifications, (d) Level 4 qualifications, (e) Level 5 qualifications and (f) Level 6 qualifications or above.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 17th July is attached.

If he will publish the assumptions used to generate the figure of a 5.5 to 6 billion lifetime cost of the Afghan re-settlement schemes.

Yes, the lifetime cost quoted of the Afghan resettlement schemes includes family members coming to the UK. Projected costs are based on per person costs used for planning purposes, and estimated numbers of future arrivals. The estimate is based on costs incurred including: relocation and transitional accommodation costs; Local Authority tariffs and the Local Authority Housing Fund; legal fees; and staffing costs (e.g. case workers). The cost estimates also factor in assumptions on numbers of outstanding ARAP applications expected to be made eligible, family sizes and length of stay in transitional accommodation. HM Treasury included the cost of all Afghan resettlement schemes in the spending audit in July 2024. HMT has fully funded all future costs of resettlement schemes as part of the Spending Review in June.

With reference to his oral statement of 15 July 2025 on Afghanistan, Official Report, column 149-152, whether the £5.5 to 6 billion lifetime cost of the Afghan resettlement schemes includes further family members coming to the UK.

Yes, the lifetime cost quoted of the Afghan resettlement schemes includes family members coming to the UK. Projected costs are based on per person costs used for planning purposes, and estimated numbers of future arrivals. The estimate is based on costs incurred including: relocation and transitional accommodation costs; Local Authority tariffs and the Local Authority Housing Fund; legal fees; and staffing costs (e.g. case workers). The cost estimates also factor in assumptions on numbers of outstanding ARAP applications expected to be made eligible, family sizes and length of stay in transitional accommodation. HM Treasury included the cost of all Afghan resettlement schemes in the spending audit in July 2024. HMT has fully funded all future costs of resettlement schemes as part of the Spending Review in June.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 19002 on Ministry of Defence: Temporary Accommodation, how many Afghans are being accommodated on the defence estate.

As of 18 July 2025, there are currently 972 eligible Afghans in transitional accommodation on the Defence Estate under the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP). Use of the Defence Estate will be gradually reduced over the coming months, with a view to ceasing its use as transitional accommodation for Afghan families by the end of 2025.

How many people were claiming Universal Credit who were (a) in employment and (b) not in employment and whose immigration status was (i) Common Travel Area - UK, Ireland, Right of Abode, (ii) EU Settlement Scheme, (iii) humanitarian, (iv) refugee, (v) indefinite leave to remain, not EU Settlement Scheme, (vii) limited leave to remain, not EU Settlement Scheme, including family reunion, (viii) other and (ix) no immigration status recorded on digital systems in each local authority in each month since June 2024.

The Department recently published new Universal Credit - Immigration Status and Nationality statistics. Further breakdowns of these statistics are not currently available.

How many and what proportion of secondary schools provide two weeks of work experience.

The department has asked the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) to collect national baseline data on the delivery of two weeks’ worth of work experience for every secondary pupil, across schools in England. CEC plan to publish this data by the end of 2025.The most recently published data by CEC regarding work experience relates to the 2023/24 academic year. 76% of schools self-report that the majority of their pupils have had an experience of the workplace by the end of year 11.84% of schools report that the majority of their pupils had received experience of the workplace in year 12 or year 13.The department recently updated careers statutory guidance to set out expectations for the 2025/26 academic year, including multiple, high quality experiences of the workplace for every pupil.

How many and what proportion of pupils she expects to be eligible for Free School Meals (a) this year and (b) in future years.

The department published information on pupil free school meal eligibility in the annual Schools, Pupils and Characteristics publication, which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2024-25. The most recent data is based on the January (spring) school census. Under current eligibility criteria, the department spends around £1.5 billion on free lunches annually. We estimate that over 500,000 additional children will benefit from expanded free school meal eligibility from September 2026, net of the ending of transitional protections, based on data which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/estimate-of-additional-children-claiming-free-school-meals-following-expansion-of-eligibility/2025. We have set aside over £1 billion in additional funding over the multi-year spending review period to cover meal costs.

How many medical school places he expects there to be in each year up to 2031.

The total maximum fundable limit for medical school places in England set by the Office for Students is 8,230 places for the 2025/26 academic year. The limit is confirmed on an annual basis.We will publish a new 10 Year Workforce Plan later this year to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.

What the real terms cost to the public purse is of Free School Meals in 2025-26; and what she expects this to be in future years.

The department published information on pupil free school meal eligibility in the annual Schools, Pupils and Characteristics publication, which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2024-25. The most recent data is based on the January (spring) school census. Under current eligibility criteria, the department spends around £1.5 billion on free lunches annually. We estimate that over 500,000 additional children will benefit from expanded free school meal eligibility from September 2026, net of the ending of transitional protections, based on data which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/estimate-of-additional-children-claiming-free-school-meals-following-expansion-of-eligibility/2025. We have set aside over £1 billion in additional funding over the multi-year spending review period to cover meal costs.

How much she plans to spend on the Best Start for Life programme in the (a) 2026-27, (b) 2027-28 and (c) 2028-29 financial years.

The department has allocated close to £1.5 billion over the next three financial years on improving family services and early years education. This funding includes both programme and capital funding, and is separate from the additional funding being provided for early years entitlements.