Written questions by Barker.

What steps her Department is taking to help support Merseyside Police to tackle organised crime gangs.

The impact of Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) is felt on our streets and in our communities. The Home Office is committed to ensuring that the police have the capabilities they need to tackle this significant threat.Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) continue to diversify their tactics and activity, supported by a rise in the use of technology and online platforms. Home Office funding to the NCA has enabled capacity building to tackle the threat from SOC including the supply of illicit drugs. This includes the Merseyside Organised Crime Partnership - a joint NCA and policing unit to tackle the highest harm OCGs involved in drugs and firearms trafficking in the region.This collaboration has significantly impacted the threat in Merseyside with a notable reduction in firearms discharges, and community safety perceptions have significantly improved, particularly in wake of the tragic gang related murder of 9-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel.Since 2022, Merseyside Police have also been delivering Clear, Hold, Build (CHB) a dedicated programme designed to tackle SOC treats and harms, which is now operating across three sites in the force area, receiving additional Home Office funding following the murder of Olivia and several other innocent members of the community by OCGs. CHB aims to reduce the SOC threat and crime levels in high-harm local areas and build sustained community resilience which prevents this harm returning.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing private rented sector tenants' protections and rights of redress against (a) landlords and (b) letting agencies under private rented sector deposit protection schemes.

Tenancy Deposit Protection (TDP) schemes play a vital role in protecting tenant deposits and providing free alternative dispute resolution, should a deposit dispute arise at the end of a tenancy. TDP providers are appointed as authorised schemes through government concession contracts.My department is responsible for managing these contracts and monitoring schemes’ performance. The contracts are due to expire in 2026, and as part of the re-procurement we will be reviewing the current system and exploring what improvements can be made to ensure the best possible service for tenants and landlords.

With reference to the guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence entitled Integrated health and social care for people experiencing homelessness, published on 16 March 2022, what steps his Department is taking to implement these guidelines in health and social care settings.

The Department recognises the importance of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines, and is working across the Government and the health system, and with local government, commissioners, and the voluntary sector, to continue to review and support implementation of the guidance Integrated health and social care for people experience homelessness (NG214), both nationally and locally. With the aim to include setting priority areas of focus and identifying and sharing best practice for implementation.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of (a) trends in level of planning applications granted for buy-to-let developments and (b) the potential impact of those trends on first-time buyers.

The department does not hold data on planning applications for buy-to-let developments and we are therefore unable to assess the impact of trends in applications on first-time buyers.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that home care workers are paid correctly for their travel time.

All workers, including social care workers, must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for the work that they do. Time spent travelling between appointments counts as working time for minimum wage purposes. If anyone thinks they are not receiving at least the minimum wage, they can contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service or submit a query directly to HM Revenue and Customs.On 10 October 2024, recognising the central role of our amazing care workforce, we took a critical step, introducing the legislation that will establish the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for care professionals. Fair Pay Agreements will empower worker, employer, and other sector representatives to negotiate pay and terms and conditions in a regulated and responsible manner and will help to address the recruitment and retention crisis in the sector, in turn supporting the continued delivery of high-quality care.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the role of letting agencies on trends in the level of rents in the private rented sector.

The Government keeps trends in the Private Rented Sector under review, including the role of letting agents.The English Private Landlord Survey 2021 asked landlords if they had increased their rent and, if so, what were their motivations for doing so. It found that 64% of landlords surveyed had not increased their rent in the last two years. Where landlords had increased the rent, the most common factor was to account for changes in market rents. 71% of landlords who had raised rents cited changes in market rents as an influencing factor. 34% of landlords who had raised the rent cited advice from an agent as influencing their decision.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help promote LGBT rights across the Commonwealth.

The UK is strongly committed to championing LGBT+ human rights and activists across the Commonwealth. This work is enabled by our £40 million LGBT+ Rights Programme, which supports the vital work of organisations such as The Commonwealth Equality Network (TCEN) to end violence and discrimination, reform discriminatory legislation, and uphold the human rights and freedoms of all LGBT+ people. Lord Collins, Minister responsible for the Commonwealth, will be meeting TCEN and other Civil Society organisations at CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) in Samoa next week.

Communities and Local Government, if she will have discussions with the Minister for Women and Equalities on a role for a Women and Equalities Minister in the cross-government strategy to tackle homelessness.

We will consult and engage a wide range of stakeholders to develop our new cross-government strategy to make sure we put in place services that meet people’s needs. This includes discussions with the Secretary of State for Education who has responsibility for women and equalities to consider how we can ensure our strategy takes account of the needs of women.The Government is taking action by setting up a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG), bringing together ministers from across government, to develop a long-term strategy to put us back on track to ending homelessness.

What steps his Department is taking to help prevent street discharge from hospital settings for people rough sleeping.

The Department is committed to promoting safe and timely discharge for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness to appropriate accommodation. Every acute hospital has access to a care transfer hub to manage discharge for people with more complex needs, who need extra support.The Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have published guidance and supporting materials for health and care staff on discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/discharging-people-at-risk-of-or-experiencing-homelessness/discharging-people-at-risk-of-or-experiencing-homelessnessThis ensures that every health and care interaction with a homeless person acts as an opportunity to provide support and signposting, with the aim of ending rough sleeping. The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the development of the Government’s plans for social and affordable housing.

What steps his Department is taking to provide Belzutifan to patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS, based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NICE has published final draft guidance that recommends belzutifan for treating tumours associated with von Hippel-Lindau disease subject to a managed access agreement. Belzutifan is now available to eligible patients through the Cancer Drugs Fund in line with the NICE’s final draft recommendations, ahead of the publication of the NICE’s final guidance.

Whether her Department collects data on driving theory test pass rates for those with (a) ADHD and (b) other neurodiverse conditions.

If candidates with ADHD or neurodiverse conditions (or any condition that requires the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to make special accommodations at the test centre) ask for support with taking a theory test, they need to provide evidence of the condition they have at the time of booking the test. But DVSA does not record or retain this evidence, so does not collect data on the pass rates of those who have such conditions.

How many Integrated Care Systems across England have policies targeted to better health outcomes for those that experience homelessness.

Integrated care systems and integrated care boards (ICBs) are expected to have a dedicated focus on tackling health inequalities. The Health and Care Act 2022 mandates that ICBs reduce inequalities in access to and outcomes from healthcare for the population they serve. This includes groups experiencing the poorest health outcomes, often referred to as inclusion health populations, such as people experiencing homelessness, vulnerable migrants, sex workers, and people with substance use issues. In addition, the Department has supported the development of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance which provides recommendations on ways to improve access to, and engagement with, health and social care services for people experiencing homelessness, and the Department is working across the health system to promote this guidance.

What steps his Department is taking to improve intermediate care for the homeless.

People experiencing homelessness are one of the most complex cohorts for hospital discharge and intermediate care services. The Government is working closely with NHS England and local authorities to drive improvements in intermediate care across the country, to help keep people well and independent for as long as possible, provide alternatives to hospital and care home admissions, and support timely and effective discharge for those admitted to hospital.

What steps he is taking to improve the integration of (a) dietitians and (b) allied health professionals in the delivery of (i) public health and (ii) primary care.

The Department is leading a collaboration between the nations of the United Kingdom, as well as 14 Allied Health Professional (AHP) bodies, including the British Dietetic Association, to refresh the UK Allied Health Professions Public Health Strategic Framework, which is available at the following link:https://www.ahpf.org.uk/files/UK%20AHP%20Public%20Health%20Strategic%20Framework%202019-2024.pdfPublication of the new strategic framework is planned for early 2025. It will include goals to increase the profile, capability, and leadership of AHPs, including dietitians, in public health, including how they integrate into the wider public health workforce.The Department has also worked with the Council of Deans of Health to publish Public Health Curricula Guidance for Pre-Registration Education of AHPs, including dietitians, and with the Health and Care Professions Council to promote their revised standards of proficiency for public health.The Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES) was developed to support the establishment of primary care networks which would provide greater resilience for practices, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/PRN01583-network-contract-des-spec-24-25-pcn-requirements-entitlements.pdfThe Network Contract DES details that primary care networks are entitled to funding to support the recruitment of additional staff to deliver health services, which is referred to as the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). The ARRS includes first contact physiotherapists and paramedics and also dietitians, podiatrists, and occupational therapists. The inclusion of these AHP roles within primary care creates capacity within the system for the timely assessment and management of patients within the community, reducing the need for general practice (GP) intervention.Together with existing GP staff, the new roles can help form a multidisciplinary team who can provide new services, better care for patients, and improve integration. GPs can refer to other AHPs not included in the ARRS as clinically indicated within the community.

Whether her Department has had discussions with Network Rail on (a) congestion in major railway stations and (b) dangerous passenger transitions towards platforms in busy periods.

Network Rail is responsible for the safe operation and management of twenty major railway stations and is regulated by the Office of Rail and Road. Ministers and officials routinely engage with Network Rail to hold it to account for matters within its control and drive improvements for passengers.

What steps her Department is taking to prevent women being put in danger following the release of perpetrators of domestic violence.

We have important safeguards in place for the early release scheme ‘SDS40’ and have made sure that changes won’t apply to a series of offences that occur most frequently in the context of domestic abuse including stalking, coercive or controlling behaviour, and non-fatal strangulation. Victims and survivors can be assured that probation follow business as usual processes to build appropriate risk management plans to support the safe release of prisoners. Victims and survivors who are eligible for and have opted into the Victim Contact Scheme or the Victim Notification Scheme continue to get information and updates about developments on their case. All offenders released are subject to robust licence conditions and risk management plans, monitored by the probation service. There are clear expectations in place for probation staff managing cases where there is evidence of domestic abuse. While on licence, offenders will be subject to conditions including those deemed necessary to protect the victim and wider public, such as exclusion zones, location monitoring, residence at a specified place or disclosing details of any new relationship. Offenders must comply with these conditions and attend supervision. If they fail to comply, they can be recalled to continue serving their sentence in prison.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department has made of the local authority funding gap in the next two years.

I refer the hon member to the answer to Question UIN 524 answered on 26 July 2024.

Whether her Department is taking steps with HMRC to data match housing benefit claimants with those eligible for pension credit.

DWP do not need HMRC data to match Housing Benefit customers with Pension Credit. The government is actively working with external partners and local authorities to boost the uptake of Pension Credit and to target additional support to the poorest pensioners. In November we will also be directly contacting pensioners who are in receipt of Housing Benefit but who may be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit – building on last year’s “Invitation to Claim” trial. In the longer term we will bring together the administration of Pension Credit and Housing Benefit as soon as operationally possible, so that pensioner households receiving Housing Benefit also receive any Pension Credit to which they are entitled.

Communities and Local Government, when her Department plans to publish the next round of submissions on homelessness duties owed to Ukrainians by each lower-tier local authority.

The Homelessness Pressures Management Information was last published on 3 October 2024. The publication included data submitted from local authorities in England on homelessness duties accepted for Ukrainian households, covering the period from 24 February 2022 until 31 August 2024 and can be found here. We aim to publish these quarterly.

Communities and Local Government, if she will incorporate other streams of funding into the Revenue Support Grant.

I refer my Hon Friend to the answer given to Question UIN 524 on 26 July 2024.