Written questions by Law.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing people who accumulate points across multiple Personal Independence Payment activities, but do not score four points in any single activity, to retain their entitlement.

PIP is an important, non-means tested benefit for disabled people and people with health conditions – regardless of whether they are in or out of work. However, the rate of increases in claims and expenditure is not sustainable and has outstripped the growth in disability prevalence. Changes are needed that will control the spend on the welfare bill, while continuing to support those people with higher needs relating to their long-term health condition or disability.In our Pathways to Work Green Paper we announced that we will introduce a new eligibility requirement to ensure that only those who score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity will be eligible for the daily living component of PIP. This requirement will need to be met in addition to the existing PIP eligibility criteria.This will focus PIP more on those with the greatest needs, who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them. This means that people who have lower needs only in the daily living activities (scoring three or less for each activity) will no longer be eligible for the daily living component of PIP.Our intention is that this change will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.

Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) assessments and (b) controls are in place to ensure the (i) integrity and (ii) effectiveness of measures implemented to achieve biodiversity net gains in development projects.

Biodiversity net gain (BNG) is a mandatory requirement in the planning process, and developments (unless exempt) need to submit information to the relevant local planning authority to demonstrate how they intend to deliver a 10% ‘net gain’ calculated using the statutory BNG metric. This could be through measures taken on-site, off-site or by purchasing government issued credits as a last resort. Any significant on-site (and any off-site) gains must include a legal agreement (covering at least 30 years) and a habitat management and monitoring plan as part of their application.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures.

Internationally, Defra is one of the largest donors to and supporters of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), providing funding to enable voluntary market adoption and to address knowledge, capacity-building and data needs of market participants. Domestically, Defra is funding the TNFD’s UK National Consultation Group – convened by the Green Finance Institute - to support UK companies and financial institutions in building awareness and capacity on nature and the TNFD, building the case internally for TNFD-aligned reporting and collecting feedback on the recommendations. HMG has backed the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) to develop standards that provide globally comparable and decision-useful information for investors regarding sustainability-related financial disclosures. Following ISSB’s consultation on future priorities, we welcomed and look forward to the results of their work to research disclosures on risks and opportunities associated with biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services – drawing on the work of the TNFD. I met recently with the Director of Sustainable Finance for the Financial Conduct Authority to discuss these matters.

What steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure.

In the UK, mandatory climate-related financial disclosure requirements are set under the Companies (Strategic Report, Climate-related Financial Disclosure) Regulations 2022 and the Limited Liability Partnerships (Climate-related Financial Disclosure) Regulations 2022. The requirements are aligned with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD). The regulations apply to the following groups with more than 500 employees: listed companies, banks and insurance companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), and Alternative Investment Market-listed companies. They also apply to companies and LLPs who are not included in the list above, which have more than 500 employees and more than £500m turnover. Under UK Listing Rules, listed companies must disclose in their annual report whether their climate-related disclosures are consistent with TCFD recommendations, or explain why not. UK pension schemes whose relevant assets are £1 billion or more at the end of the scheme year must also disclose climate-related information in line with TCFD recommendations, under the Occupational Pension Schemes (Climate Change Governance and Reporting) Regulations 2021.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing free covid vaccinations to unpaid carers.

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of severe illness, involving hospitalisation and/or death, arising from COVID-19.The JCVI’s advice for autumn 2024 noted that in the era of high population immunity to COVID-19, and with all cases due to highly transmissible omicron sub-variants, any protection offered by the vaccine against the transmission of infection from one person to another was expected to be extremely limited. On this basis, the JCVI did not advise offering vaccination to unpaid carers. The Government accepted the JCVI’s advice for autumn 2024, with both the advice and the Government’s response available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-accepts-advice-on-2024-autumn-covid-vaccine-programmeOn 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme covering vaccination in 2025 and spring 2026. In line with its advice for the autumn 2024 campaign, the JCVI does not advise COVID-19 vaccination for unpaid carers. This advice is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026#:~:text=the%20JCVI%20webpage.-,Advice%20on%20vaccination%20in%20spring%202025,care%20home%20for%20older%20adultsThe Government has accepted the JCVI’s advice on eligibility for the spring 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme. The Government is considering the advice for autumn 2025 and spring 2026 carefully, and will respond in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using technology to encourage consumers to buy British produce.

This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone in Great Britain and Northern Ireland has access to nutritious and fairly priced food. Defra also regularly engages with supermarkets and food producers about a number of issues, including their partnership with British farmers in producing food for the nation, but the sourcing of food within supply chains is ultimately a commercial decision. Our ambitious food strategy will set and deliver clear long-term outcomes that create a healthier, fairer, and more resilient food system. Making the most of technological innovations will be key to this. We will not be starting from scratch but will be building on analysis and work that already exists, including the Dimbleby report as we work together to develop a food strategy that delivers for everyone, and insights from leading organisations from across the food supply chain. The food sector is seen as a world leader in quality, productivity and innovation and is an attractive destination for investment. We will join up work on food across government Missions on Health and Growth, and Industrial Strategy and the Child Poverty Taskforce. This will ensure policy coherence, amplify impacts, and create the conditions for partnership with industry.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that veterans who participated in lawful military operations during the Northern Ireland Troubles are treated fairly in relation to investigations or judicial proceedings; and if he will increase (a) legal protections and (b) welfare support for those veterans.

The Government recognises the important service of Armed Forces personnel and the sacrifices they made to keep us all safe in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. We are exploring measures to ensure that the legacy of the past is addressed sensitively, efficiently, and lawfully, including with veterans’ groups. When a veteran faces judicial proceedings in relation to their duties, we offer, at public expense, legal support and representation as appropriate. Veterans are also offered welfare support tailored to their individual needs and circumstances.

What progress his Department has made on issuing payments under the LGBT Veterans Financial Recognition Scheme.

The LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme launched on 13 December 2024. As of 31 March 2025, 917 applications had been received. Fighting With Pride, the Royal British Legion and Veterans UK are providing ongoing support to veterans with their applications. The process of gathering evidence and records for the creation of casefiles is underway for these applications. This is the largest part of the process as this requires the collation of information from a variety of sources, including historical records. Terminally ill veterans are being prioritised and we expect payments to begin for these veterans by the end of April 2025.

Whether she has made an assessment of the cost effectiveness of the outsourcing the (a) assessment and (b) administration of welfare.

We do not outsource the assessment or administration of social security in any wholesale manner, although some elements of these services are outsourced to third parties.Where these services have been outsourced, each arrangement is subject to individual scrutiny both at the planning and commissioning stages, where a number of steps are conducted: A Delivery Model Assessment (also known as a Make vs Buy assessment) to understand whether outsourcing is cost effective and able to offer value for money in the first instance;A Should Cost Model to enable us to understand what the potential costs of the services are, where this can be compared to an insourced model and used as a benchmark for any bids received, and;An assessment as part of the commercial process to ensure that bids are cost effective and offer value for money. When we do decide to outsource, at the end of the commercial process a contract will be executed, which will capture the key requirements for provision of the service and the service levels expected of the provider to enable the anticipated value for money to be delivered. This will be managed closely by contract management practitioners accredited to, or studying towards accreditation, at Expert or Practitioner level (depending on the complexity of the contract) of the Contract Management Capability Programme managed by Cabinet Office. This enables and ensures that the department realises the best value for money possible from the third party services and the optimum cost effectiveness.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that people with care needs can continue to pay for carers following changes to eligibility for Personal Independence Payments.

We have committed to introduce a new requirement that, in addition to the existing eligibility criteria, claimants must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment. Our intention is that – subject to parliamentary approval – the changes will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026. The changes will focus PIP more on those with the greatest needs, ensuring those who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them, still get support. Through the Green Paper we are consulting on the support needed for those who may lose any entitlements as a result of receiving PIP daily living and what this support could look like.We will also work closely with the DHSC and others on how the health and eligible care needs of those who would lose entitlement to PIP could be met outside the benefits system. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has regular discussions with Cabinet members, including in relation to benefit reform.

Communities and Local Government, what fiscal measures her Department has considered to help facilitate the renovation of existing residential sites.

The government is committed to supporting estate regeneration schemes to transform neighbourhoods by delivering well designed housing and public space, a better quality of life and new opportunities for tenants.As of June 2023, grant funding provided through the government’s Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 can be used to fund replacement homes alongside new affordable homes, as part of wider estate regeneration plans.

What steps she is taking to (a) support the development of battery-electrified trains and (b) ensure that those trains are made using British critical minerals.

The Government is supporting the development of battery-electric trains as they are an integral part of the plan to decarbonise the railway network by 2050. This includes innovative projects such as the Greenford fast-charge battery train trial, a recent battery trial on a TransPennine Express unit, as well as the full deployment of multi-mode trains with batteries by Transport for Wales and Merseyrail. We are progressing work on a whole systems approach to decarbonisation, ensuring both track and train are considered.The Government published a Critical Minerals Strategy in 2022, which sets out its approach for ensuring the secure supply of critical minerals for key technologies including batteries.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Office for Budget Responsibility's methodology for understanding fiscal multipliers.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is responsible for preparing forecasts for the UK economy and public finances. This includes an assessment of the impact of government policies, where the OBR regularly reviews and publish papers on its approach. The OBR assesses the demand side impacts of policy using multipliers – these estimate the impact on real GDP from government policy. The OBR’s multiplier framework is described in Dynamic scoring of policy measures in OBR forecasts. The OBR also takes account of how specific policies affect the supply side of the economy. This approach is set out in Forecasting potential output - the supply side of the economy. The OBR have also recently published a new framework for assessing public investment which can be found in the OBR’s Discussion Paper No. 5: Public investment and potential output. This framework was used in the Autumn Budget 2024, where the OBR judged the increase in departmental capital spending would directly raise potential output by 1.1 percent by 2073-74. The Chancellor and OBR Budget Responsibility Committee speak regularly, and there is an ongoing dialogue at official level on a range of issues. This includes the OBR’s approach to preparing forecasts for the UK economy and public finances. The OBR committed to reviewing their demand multipliers in their most recent forecast, published on Wednesday 26th March 2025.

If he will have discussions with Cabinet colleagues on reforming student loan repayment rules to exempt nurses from repaying those loans while they are employed within the NHS.

The Government currently has no plans to exempt nurses from repaying student loans. The Government keeps the funding arrangements for all healthcare students under close review in order to balance the use of finite financial resources with the level of support students require.

Whether his Department is taking steps to hire more specialists in the diagnosis of adult ADHD.

NHS England has established an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) taskforce which is working to bring together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors. The taskforce is working to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support, with the final report expected in the summer of 2025.In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop an ADHD data improvement plan, to inform future service planning. NHS England has also captured examples from integrated care boards who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services, and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again. We will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need, when they need it.

Whether her Department has considered introducing a small levy on imported sugar; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of such a levy on (a) tariff revenues following the suspension of Ukrainian sugar tariffs and (b) incentives in the food and beverage industry to transition to sweeteners.

The UK already has significant tariffs on UK sugar imports which are imported via the Most Favoured Nation route. These are £280 per tonne for cane sugar for refining and £350 per tonne for other types of sugar. They are, other than in exceptional circumstances, effectively prohibitive to imports via this route and instead imports come from jurisdictions with preferential access. The government has no plans to introduce tariffs on imports from countries which have preferential access into the UK market. The government recognises the harms caused by high sugar intake and took steps at Autumn Budget 2024 to ensure the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) remains effective and fit-for-purpose. The levy will be increased, over the next five years to reflect inflation since 2018.

If she hold discussions with HMRC on the potential merits of extending terms for the collection of taxes from businesses; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on working capital for businesses.

HMRC takes its responsibility seriously to make sure that individuals and businesses who can pay, do so on time. Where taxpayers need additional support, they can enter into payment arrangements with HMRC, allowing taxpayers to pay their tax, including VAT and PAYE, via instalments.Companies pay Corporation Tax nine months and one day after the end of the accounting period, or in quarterly payments if they are a large company.At the Spring Statement the Government announced further measures to close the tax gap, to ensure more taxpayers pay the tax they owe.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that GPs can support ADHD patients under the shared care plans through (a) reassessment, (b) re-prescription of ADHD medication and (c) other measures.

Shared care within the National Health Service refers to an arrangement whereby a specialist doctor formally transfers responsibility for all or some aspects of their patient’s care, such as the prescription of medication, over to the patient’s general practitioner (GP).The General Medical Council (GMC), which regulates and sets standards for doctors in the United Kingdom, has made it clear that GPs cannot be compelled to enter into a shared care agreement. Shared care is not part of the GP Contract and as such, participation is voluntary. GPs may decline such requests on clinical or capacity grounds. A GP who has previously agreed to a shared care agreement but who can no longer support it must provide a clear rationale for their decision. Both the GP and the specialist clinician share responsibility for ensuring continuity of care for the patient.The GMC has also issued guidance to help GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities. In deciding whether to enter into a shared care agreement, a GP will need to consider a number of factors to determine whether it is within their sphere of competence, and therefore safe and suitable for their patient’s needs. This includes being satisfied that any prescriptions or referrals for treatment are clinically appropriate.If a shared care agreement is not in place, the responsibility for ongoing prescribing remains with the specialist clinician, which applies to both NHS and private medical care.

Whether his Department is taking steps to expand the number of organisations under the Right to Choose pathway that are able to have their ADHD prescriptions fulfilled by the NHS.

Shared care within the National Health Service refers to an arrangement whereby a specialist doctor formally transfers responsibility for all or some aspects of their patient’s care, such as the prescription of medication, over to the patient’s general practitioner (GP).The General Medical Council (GMC), which regulates and sets standards for doctors in the United Kingdom, has made it clear that GPs cannot be compelled to enter into a shared care agreement. Shared care is not part of the GP Contract and as such, participation is voluntary. GPs may decline such requests on clinical or capacity grounds. A GP who has previously agreed to a shared care agreement but who can no longer support it must provide a clear rationale for their decision. Both the GP and the specialist clinician share responsibility for ensuring continuity of care for the patient.The GMC has also issued guidance to help GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities. In deciding whether to enter into a shared care agreement, a GP will need to consider a number of factors to determine whether it is within their sphere of competence, and therefore safe and suitable for their patient’s needs. This includes being satisfied that any prescriptions or referrals for treatment are clinically appropriate.If a shared care agreement is not in place, the responsibility for ongoing prescribing remains with the specialist clinician, which applies to both NHS and private medical care.

How many mental health workers will be recruited in Cornwall by 2029.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment, which will also help ease pressure on busy mental health services. We are working with NHS England to consider options to deliver this commitment.Whilst we don’t have the breakdown of how many mental health workers will be recruited in specific constituencies, this summer we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again. We will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.