Written questions by Shastri-Hurst.

What his timetable is for implementing fixed recoverable costs to clinical negligence claims.

Currently, the Government is considering the way forward on a wide range of matters, including clinical negligence costs reform, and we will announce our position in due course.

How many 3M Combat Arms Earplugs V2 his Department has purchased in the last five years.

The Ministry of Defence holds no records of any 3M Combat Arms Earplugs V2 being purchased in the past five years.

Pursuant to he Answer of 27 January 2025 to question 24346 on NHS: Standards, how many additional Value Weighted Activity appointments have been delivered since 5 July 2024.

Between July 2024 and November 2024, the latest available data, there were 1,635,136 more value-weighted activity appointments compared to the period July 2023 to November 2023.This includes elective ordinary and day case admissions, outpatient first appointments, and outpatient follow-up appointments with a procedure. It does not include other outpatient follow-ups, or diagnostic tests, except for endoscopy tests which are included within elective admissions or outpatient procedures as appropriate.Including diagnostic tests, between July 2024 and November 2024, the latest available data, there were 2,199,579 more appointments compared to the period July 2023 to November 2023.

On how many occasions he has met representatives of each medical Royal College since 5 July 2024.

Meetings with external organisations are routinely disclosed in the Department’s transparency publications. Two returns have been published since 5 July 2024, one in September, and one in December. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings#2024

Which appointments will count towards the plan to deliver 40,000 more NHS appointments a week.

Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission, and we will deliver an additional 2 million operations, scans, and appointments during our first year in Government, which is equivalent to 40,000 per week, as a first step in our commitment to ensuring that patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks.Appointments will be defined as those in scope of the Value Weighted Activity metric, which is used to measure elective activity as set out in NHS Operational Planning guidance, together with the key diagnostic times from diagnostic waiting times statistics. Value Weighted Activity includes elective ordinary admissions and day cases, outpatient first appointments, and outpatient follow-up appointments with a procedure. This excludes outpatient appointments without procedure, to ensure that the appointments we are counting are high value for patients. Elective admissions for endoscopies are also excluded to avoid the double counting of diagnostics.Further information about the delivery of the additional appointments will be published at the earliest opportunity.

How he is measuring the delivery of 40,000 more NHS appointments a week.

Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission, and we will deliver an additional two million operations, scans, and appointments during our first year in Government, which is equivalent to 40,000 per week, as a first step in our commitment to ensuring that patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks.The Department regularly monitors the number of appointments the National Health Service is delivering using internal management information. Official measurement of the additional appointments will be published at the earliest opportunity.

What progress the Health and Safety Executive has made in its review of the Approved Code of Practice and guidance in the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 on provision of disposal facilities in workplace toilets; and whether the Executive plans to hold a public consultation on any changes.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are reviewing the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and guidance of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 regarding provision of disposal facilities in workplace toilets. This work is included within the government’s wider plans under Make Work Pay, and HSE will hold appropriate consultation in due course.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve the UK's space-based (a) positioning, (b) navigation and (c) timing capabilities, in the context of encrypted and alerting services.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not currently have any UK space-based position, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities, nor any plans for a future space based PNT system. The MOD works closely with the National PNT Office, in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, to develop proposals for the UK Government’s PNT capabilities as part of the cross-Government initiative, concerning future space-based and non-space-based PNT solutions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to help deter malign Iranian activity in the UK.

Iran's malign activity is unacceptable. In response the to the regime's human rights violations, nuclear weapons programme, malign influence internationally and state threats, the UK has more than 450 sanctions designations in place on Iranian individuals and entities. The UK has also sanctioned the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety.We will continue to use all tools at our disposal, to protect the UK and its overseas interests against any threats from the Iranian state.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help deter Russian interference in democratic processes in the UK.

Protecting the integrity and security of UK democratic processes from threats of foreign interference is a priority across government.The National Security Act 2023 provides the security services and law enforcement agencies with the tools and powers they need to deter, detect, and disrupt modern-day state threats. The Act includes the Foreign Interference Offence and the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), both of which will contribute to the toolkit available to law enforcement and the intelligence agencies to disrupt foreign interference activity, protect the British public and address the evolving threat to our national security.The Defending Democracy Taskforce also seeks to protect the democratic integrity of the UK from threats of foreign influence. The Taskforce works across government and with Parliament, the UK’s intelligence community, the devolved administrations, local authorities, the private sector, and civil society on the full range of threats facing our democratic institutions.In recent years, the UK has taken several measures to clamp down on the malign activities of the Russian State and its intelligence services, which have been supported across Parliament. These include the expulsion of 24 Russian intelligence officers from the Russian Embassy; the sanctioning of individuals responsible for malign activity against the UK and our allies; and exposing Russia’s malicious cyber activity.

What proportion of the Defence Medical Services cadre is operationally fit to deploy.

I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces. Whilst a statistical release of overall Armed Forces strength is published annually, strength and capability statistics for certain specialisations are not released. Releasing the current strength and requirement of medical service personnel, or indeed other specialised professions, could be exploited by our adversaries to target, disrupt and degrade an important element of Armed Forces capability.

What estimate she has made of the costs to HMRC of processing changes to rates of National Insurance contributions.

Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) covering recent changes to rates of National Insurance contributions (NICs) are available on GOV.UK and include information about estimated costs associated with these measures. A TIIN covering employer NICs changes announced at Autumn Budget was published by HMRC on 13 November. These changes included a change in the rate of employers’ National Insurance. The TIIN confirmed that HMRC would need to make IT changes to implement this package of measures, and that the total cost of changes required was estimated to be circa £900,000.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that police resources for tackling knife crime at a local level are used effectively.

This Government has set out an unprecedented mission to halve knife crime over the next decade.As part of the £1 billion increase for policing in 2025-6 set out by the Home Secretary at the provisional police funding settlement, the Home Office is providing £49.7m for the continuation of the Violence Reduction Unit programme in 20 areas across England and Wales.VRUs are delivering a whole system approach to tackling violence, including knife crime, bringing key local partners together to understand the local drivers of violence, and agree and deliver a coordinated response, including delivery of early intervention and prevention programmes aimed at diverting young people from involvement in crime and violence.We will continue to build on, and learn from, this work during the development of our new Young Futures Programme

What estimate she has made of the increase of tax paid by hospices as a result of changes to National Insurance contributions rates.

The latest forecasts for tax revenues were published alongside the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) October Economic and Fiscal Outlook. These forecasts are based on economic determinants, including wage growth and employment levels. The OBR do not forecast NICs receipts at a sector level. Detailed tax receipts forecasts can be found here: Economic and fiscal outlook – October 2024 - Office for Budget Responsibility.

What estimate she has made of the value of charity given to (a) state schools and (b) local communities by independent schools in each of the last five years.

The department does not collect data about the value of charity given to state schools and local communities by private schools. Therefore, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not made an estimate of its value in each of the last five years.The Independent Schools Council, which represents over 1,400 private schools belonging to an association, publishes an annual report which sets out the support private schools give to schools in the state sector through partnership working and bursaries.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing bus fares on customers.

The previous bus fare cap was unfunded beyond 2024. The Government is stepping in and investing over £150 million to ensure single bus fares in England outside London remain capped at £3 throughout 2025. The cap ensures that millions can continue to travel for less and access better opportunities with potential savings of up to 80% on some routes.

What specific (a) care, (b) counselling and (c) support services are made available to staff who have been victims of sexual harassment within her Department.

DWP offers the provision and delivery of a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme delivered by People Asset Management (PAM). The provision is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be accessed either via telephone or email for in the moment support and referrals for counselling by trained personnel. DWP also has: A community of 600 trained Ambassadors for Fair Treatment, who are trained volunteers and whose remit is to be approachable at a time of need, to listen in confidence and to empathise with anyone who believes they are facing bullying, harassment or discrimination, as well as anyone who has been accused of it, and to signpost to further support where appropriate.A community of 1600 trained Mental Health First Aiders who are a point of contact for any DWP colleague in need, offering initial help, to listen and reassure, and guide a person towards the right support.

What training her Department provides to investigators handling sexual harassment cases to ensure investigations are (a) trauma-informed and (b) compliant with best practices.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ensures that its investigators handling sexual harassment cases are accredited and equipped with the necessary skills to conduct trauma-informed investigations, compliant with best practice. All DWP investigators assigned to these sensitive cases have undergone specialised training and have successfully completed the Advanced Professional Certificate in Investigative Practice. This certification ensures they are proficient in best practices for handling complex and sensitive investigations, including:• Trauma-Informed Approaches: Understanding the impact of trauma on individuals, employing empathetic and non-judgmental communication, and avoiding re-traumatisation during interviews.• Compliance with Legal and Procedural Standards: Adhering to relevant laws, such as the Equality Act 2010, and ensuring fair, impartial, and thorough investigations.• Advanced Interview Techniques: Using open-ended, non-leading questions to gather accurate information while being sensitive to the needs of all parties involved.• Impartial Analysis and Reporting: Maintaining objectivity throughout the investigation, analysing evidence comprehensively, and delivering well-structured and unbiased reports. By requiring this certification, DWP demonstrates its commitment to fostering a respectful and supportive environment, ensuring that all investigations are handled with the highest standards of professionalism and care.

What steps her Department is taking to (a) encourage victims of sexual harassment in the workplace to come forward and (b) ensure their protection during the reporting process.

DWP internal guidance encourages those experiencing sexual harassment to come forward via their choice of several available routes: Line ManagersDWP colleagues can speak to their own or a trusted alternative manager. Ambassadors for Fair Treatment DWP has over 500 Ambassadors for Fair Treatment (AFTs) who support colleagues to speak up about all forms of bullying, harassment and discrimination. AFTs are ACAS-trained volunteers who provide confidential listening and signposting to any colleague who believes they are facing, have witnessed, or have been accused of bullying, harassment (including sexual harassment) or discrimination. AFTs also deliver information sessions across the department to raise awareness of bullying, harassment and discrimination, and to signpost to further sources of support.Speak Up Safely helplineDWP operates a “Speak Up Safely” helpline, which colleagues can call, anonymously if they choose, and in confidence, for advice and signposting. From the 4th – 8th November 2024 DWP ran its annual Speak Up Safely week as part of the wider civil service Speak Up campaign. The week featured a range of events for colleagues across DWP focused on the important role of line managers in creating teams where colleagues feel safe to speak up on concerns and on demystifying the concern raising process in DWP to help colleagues understand the informal, formal and protected way colleagues can speak up on any concerns.Whistleblowing helplineColleagues may raise concerns, including concerns relating to sexual harassment, by speaking to senior managers or through independent routes including the confidential Whistleblowers’ Hotline or via email to the Counter Fraud and Investigation team. Colleagues may choose to raise concerns anonymously. To ensure protection during the reporting process, managers provide support including regular check-ins with colleagues reporting harassment, to ensure they are not experiencing any repercussions as a result of the report made, and that they feel adequately supported. There is a range of support available to colleagues including Mental Health First Aiders, counselling services, temporary or permanent relocations or change of role, and signposting to external support and advice bodies. Confidentiality is guaranteed throughout the process.As a public sector organisation, DWP have a duty to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). In line with this we regularly carry out mandatory PSED training across DWP. The most recent training data shows that almost 99% of the target audience completed this learning. DWP policies are currently being reviewed in line with the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act.

What steps he has taken to improve the study of tropical diseases in medical school curricula.

It is the responsibility of individual UK medical schools to determine the content of their own curricula. The delivery of these undergraduate curricula has to meet the standards set by the medical regulator, the General Medical Council (GMC), who monitors and checks to make sure that these standards are maintained. GMC standards require the curriculum to be formed in a way that allows all medical students to meet the GMC’s Outcomes for Graduates by the time they complete their medical degree, which describes the knowledge, skills and behaviour they have to show as newly registered doctors.