Written questions by Spencer.

How many and what proportion of patients have waited more than 21 days for a GP practice appointment in (a) rural and (b) urban areas in 2025.

NHS England publishes monthly data on general practice appointments (GPAD), including the approximate length of time between appointments being booked and taking place, although this is not a proxy for “waiting times”. There are a number of factors which can influence the timing of appointments, and it is not possible to estimate the time between the patient’s first attempt to contact their surgery and an appointment.In England, in September 2024, 44.1% of appointments took place on the same day as they were booked, and 81.8% took place within two weeks of booking, 88.8% within 21 days, and 10.8% occurred after more than 21 days. NHS England does not include information on rurality in this publication.In our newly published Medium-Term Planning Framework we have set an ambitious new target to deliver all urgent appointments on the same day, helping to ensure the patients who need urgent care will be prioritised.

Whether the GP funding formula review plans to consider the challenges of providing primary care services in rural areas.

The review of the general practice funding formula, the Carr-Hill formula, is being conducted by the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The purpose of the review is to ensure that funding for general practice is distributed equitably and is targeted towards areas that need it most. The review will consider unavoidable costs based on geographical areas, including delivering services in rural areas.The review has commenced and will draw on a range of evidence and advice from experts. Implementation of any new funding approach will be subject to ministerial decision, in the context of the available funding and our commitment to substantively reform the General Medical Services Contract within this Parliament.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many Countryside Stewardship agreements will end in each of the next six months.

There are almost 5,820 Countryside Stewardship (CS) Agreements that are due to expire within the next six months (November 25 – April 26). This figure covers all Countryside Stewardship Agri-environment schemes, including Mid-Tier, Higher-Tier, Capital Agreements and Wildlife Offers.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much money has been allocated to the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund in 2025, 2026 and 2027.

£46.7 million was allocated to the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund in 2025. Funding for future years is yet to be decided and is subject to departmental business planning.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many hectares of land have been taken out of food production in the last year.

Agricultural land can be taken out of human food production for a variety of reasons, including for agricultural purposes (for example when it’s used to produce animal feed, as bare fallow within the annual crop rotations or for temporary crops such as leguminous mixes for environmental and soil health benefits). It is therefore not possible to provide accurate data on how much land has been taken out of food production as this can differ each year. Estimates of the utilised agricultural area in England (which also includes bare fallow and land for environmental benefit) stands at 8.8 million hectares in 2025 and this area has remained broadly stable over the past decade. Agricultural land area statistics are available here. Detailed statistics on domestic food production are available in Chapters 7 and 8 in Defra’s Agriculture in the United Kingdom publication.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the 2025 harvest on (a) farm profitability and (b) business viability.

We regularly publish statistics on farm incomes and profitability. The latest figures on Farm Business Income covering the 2024/25 year were published on 20 November 2025: Farm business income - GOV.UK.

How many outstanding asylum claims there are; and what the average time taken is for those claims to reach a final decision.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘asylum detailed datasets’ as part of the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’.Data on the number of claims awaiting an initial decision, broken down by duration, is published in table Asy_D03. The latest data relates to the year ending June 2025. For further information on the data, see the notes pages of the tables.Data on the average processing times of claims is not currently published.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of unresolved asylum claims on local (a) councils and (b) services in Suffolk; and what additional resources she is providing to Suffolk Council to help mitigate that impact.

The Home Office continues to work closely with local authorities to manage all the pressures arising from the provision of asylum accommodation including the impact on wider local authority obligations and plans.The Home Office has delivered various grants through which we provide funds to support local authorities housing asylum seekers.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed Digital ID scheme on data security.

The Government will launch a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, setting out the proposed approach in more detail and seeking views on this. This will include the proposed approach to estimating and monitoring the costs involved and savings - while accounting for the outcomes of the consultation.The Government will work closely with expert stakeholders to make the programme as effective, secure and inclusive as possible, including taking insights from previous IT projects where appropriate. We will also take best practice from other countries.Inclusivity is central to our thinking as we design this. The Government will deliver a comprehensive inclusion programme to ensure everyone eligible is able to access the new digital ID. This will include targeted support for those who may struggle to access or engage with digital services.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an estimate of the potential cost of the implementation of a digital ID system.

The Government will launch a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, setting out the proposed approach in more detail and seeking views on this. This will include the proposed approach to estimating and monitoring the costs involved and savings - while accounting for the outcomes of the consultation.The Government will work closely with expert stakeholders to make the programme as effective, secure and inclusive as possible, including taking insights from previous IT projects where appropriate. We will also take best practice from other countries.Inclusivity is central to our thinking as we design this. The Government will deliver a comprehensive inclusion programme to ensure everyone eligible is able to access the new digital ID. This will include targeted support for those who may struggle to access or engage with digital services.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure the inclusion of people (a) in rural areas and (b) with poor connectivity in the proposed digital ID scheme.

The Government will launch a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, setting out the proposed approach in more detail and seeking views on this. This will include the proposed approach to estimating and monitoring the costs involved and savings - while accounting for the outcomes of the consultation.The Government will work closely with expert stakeholders to make the programme as effective, secure and inclusive as possible, including taking insights from previous IT projects where appropriate. We will also take best practice from other countries.Inclusivity is central to our thinking as we design this. The Government will deliver a comprehensive inclusion programme to ensure everyone eligible is able to access the new digital ID. This will include targeted support for those who may struggle to access or engage with digital services.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help ensure the inclusion of people living in (a) rural areas and (b) with poor internet connectivity in the proposed digital ID scheme.

The Government will launch a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, setting out the proposed approach in more detail and seeking views on this. This will include the proposed approach to estimating and monitoring the costs involved and savings - while accounting for the outcomes of the consultation.The Government will work closely with expert stakeholders to make the programme as effective, secure and inclusive as possible, including taking insights from previous IT projects where appropriate. We will also take best practice from other countries.Inclusivity is central to our thinking as we design this. The Government will deliver a comprehensive inclusion programme to ensure everyone eligible is able to access the new digital ID. This will include targeted support for those who may struggle to access or engage with digital services.

What is the estimated annual cost of providing (a) healthcare, (b) education, and (a) welfare support to illegal migrants in (i) the UK and (b) in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency.

The Home Office does not hold the information sought in these questions at the level of granularity requested.Collating and verifying that information for the purposes of answering these questions could only be done at disproportionate cost and would also require the exclusion of any commercially sensitive material.However the Home Office publishes all available information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab).

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure that lessons learned from previous IT projects will be considered in the development of the proposed digital ID scheme.

The Government will launch a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, setting out the proposed approach in more detail and seeking views on this. This will include the proposed approach to estimating and monitoring the costs involved and savings - while accounting for the outcomes of the consultation.The Government will work closely with expert stakeholders to make the programme as effective, secure and inclusive as possible, including taking insights from previous IT projects where appropriate. We will also take best practice from other countries.Inclusivity is central to our thinking as we design this. The Government will deliver a comprehensive inclusion programme to ensure everyone eligible is able to access the new digital ID. This will include targeted support for those who may struggle to access or engage with digital services.

How many failed asylum seekers are residing in Suffolk.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of asylum seekers in receipt of support, by support type and by local authority, is published in table Asy_D11 of the ‘Asylum support detailed datasets’.Individuals receiving Section 4 support have had their asylum claim refused but they are destitute and there are reasons that temporarily prevent them from leaving the UK. Please note that Section 95 support data includes some failed asylum seekers who had children in their household when their appeal rights were exhausted.The latest data relates to as at 30 June 2025. Data for as at 30 September 2025 will be published on 27 November 2025. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks.

If she will list the countries with which the Government is conducting negotiations for the return of illegal migrants. started.

Listing the countries with which the Government is conducting negotiations relating to the return of illegal migrants, either to their country of origin or a country through which they travelled to the UK, would be unhelpful in fostering and building on relations which are vital in supporting the tackling of illegal migration and targeting the gangs that prey on the vulnerable.Bilateral returns agreements are one of many tools that facilitate returns and support international returns co-operation.

What her priorities are to tackle illegal immigration; and how these differ from her immediate predecessor.

As the Home Secretary has set out, she will do whatever it takes to secure our borders; working to restore order to the asylum system, ensuring that the rules are properly respected and enforced, and working upstream to tackle those facilitating illegal migration.The now embedded Border Security Command (BSC) is leading the national response to preventing small boats crossing the English Channel. The BSC work closely with the National Crime Agency, Border Force, Immigration Enforcement, and overseas counterparts in countries such as France, Germany, Italy, and Iraq. This collaborative approach has already led to widely publicised raids, arrests, and new bilateral agreements that will further strengthen enforcement and intelligence-sharing over the coming months.To ensure we restore order to the asylum system, we are committed to meaningful reform of our current immigration system and processes. We will legislate to reform our approach to the application of Article 8 in the immigration system. Alongside this we will also pursue international reform, working closely with our partners in the Council of Europe. These reforms will restore the correct balance between individual rights and the wider public interest of controlling migration.

If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of small boat crossings since 4 July 2024.

The Border Security Command was established to provide strategic leadership in tackling small boats, ensuring our approach is informed by a single and shared understanding of the threat through the integrated use of intelligence, assessments, data and evidence. The Command has an established process for monitoring and evaluating work underway, including assessing delivery and monitoring trends in arrivals. The Government keeps all options to tackle small boat crossings, and the Organised Crime Groups behind them, under constant review.

If she will make an estimate of the cost of housing asylum seekers in (a) hotels, (b) private rental accommodation and (c) council housing in each of the last five financial years.

The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) people and (b) groups have been prosecuted by the Environment Agency for damaging (i) watercourses and (ii) rivers.

Information on prosecutions by the Environment Agency under its regulatory powers is available on gov.uk. Cases completed from January 2000 that resulted in a conviction are included.