Written questions by Bedford.

What the average processing time for Pension Credit applications is by constituency.

Pension Credit application Average Actual Clearance Times (AACT) are measured weekly.The information is not available at constituency level. The table below the most recent national AACT data. Week Date28/10/2404/11/2411/11/2418/11/24PC Claims AACT (Working Days)56636565 Please note.The AACT is shown rounded to the nearest whole working day.The data shown is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.These figures will not align to previous PQ responses due to retrospective updates as the data is sourced from live systems.DWP currently works to a planned timescale of 50 working days to clear Pension Credit claims.

What data her Department holds on steps councils are taking to support pensioners with the cost of living in winter 2024-25.

The Government does not hold any data on the steps that councils are taking to support pensioners with the cost of living in winter 2024-25. In England, the Household Support Fund (HSF) is a scheme funded by the Department for Work and Pensions and delivered by all Upper Tier Local Authorities to support those most in need with the cost of essentials, such as food, energy and water. The HSF is intended to cover a wide range of low-income households in need, including households with children of all ages, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and disabled people, larger households, single-person households, and those struggling with one-off financial shocks or unforeseen events. Since October 2022, there has been no ring-fencing of funding for certain groups. Local Authorities have the discretion to design their own local schemes within the parameters of the guidance and grant determination that the Department for Work and Pensions have set out for the fund. This is because they have the ties and the knowledge to best determine how support should be provided in their local communities.

How many Pension Credit applications have been made since 29 July 2024 by constituency.

We do not currently hold this information at Constituency level. Data on how many Pension Credit applications made between 1 April 2024 and 22 September 2024 was recently published on gov.uk, Weekly Pension Credit claims received from 1 April 2024 to 22 September 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). On 28 October 2024, The Department announced updated Pension Credit applications and award statistics would be published on 28 November 2024. This publication provides application volumes up to 17 November 2024. Pension Credit applications and awards: November 2024 - GOV.UK This shows we have received around 150,000 applications since the announcement on 29 July to 17 November 2024.

How many NHS employees' contracts of employment were terminated for underperformance in each year since 2020.

NHS England publish monthly statistics detailing information on National Health Service staff recorded within the Electronic Staff Record, the human resource system for the NHS. Each quarter, these statistics include data on ‘reasons for leaving’, where these have been recorded upon a member of staff leaving or moving employment. The published data is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statisticsThe attached table summarises the published information, providing details for 2011/12 to 2023/24 of the total number of assignments of NHS staff where a reason for leaving is recorded. Within the total number, the number recorded against the four categories available to define dismissals are also presented. We believe the category ‘dismissal – capability’ is the best proxy for the data requested.Data is presented from 2011/12 as we know the pattern of staff leaving or moving roles in the NHS was impacted in 2020/21 and 2021/22 by the pandemic and so comparison with pre-pandemic levels is appropriate.Any interpretation of data should be made with the understanding that not all assignments that finish in the NHS result in a ‘reason for leaving’ being recorded. Therefore, the data presented can be viewed as a minimum number of leavers in any giving category. From analysis of the records of staff who leave NHS employment entirely it is estimated around one third of leavers do not have a reason recorded. There is no data available to confirm the completeness of recording of reasons around dismissals.

How many employee settlement agreements there were within the civil service in each year since 2020; and what the total value of such agreements was.

Full information on the use of settlement agreements is held by individual departments.

Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish guidance on the simpler recycling scheme for local authorities.

The Government recently confirmed its commitment to delivering the Collection and Packaging Reforms to the announced timelines, including Simpler Recycling, subject to spending review outcomes. Ministers are reviewing the final detail of the Simpler Recycling policy; we hope to provide further certainty and clarity to stakeholders as soon as possible.

How many Albanian nationals have been deported in 2024; and whether any individuals deported in 2024 have since re-entered the UK.

Available statistics on the returns of foreign national offenders (FNOs) and their nationality are published on a quarterly basis in the Returns Detailed Datasets, which are available at: Immigration system statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The next update will be published on 28 November 2024.Any foreign national who enters the UK in breach of a deportation order will be returned to custody to finish the remainder of their custodial sentence. Entering in breach of a deportation order is a criminal offence under section 24(1)(a) of the 1971 Act, with a maximum sentence of five years.

What steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Education to recruit young people into the armed forces.

Cross-Departmental engagement is at the heart of delivering our mission-based Government, particularly where more support can be offered to enhance the delivery of Gatsby Benchmarks which serve as a framework for world-class careers provision in education.The Armed Forces enjoy good relationships with schools, primarily in terms of engagement to support Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths curriculum areas but also in careers engagement. The Armed Forces only visit schools when invited to do so, usually in support of career events, citizenship talks, science and maths challenges and other exercises.The Armed Forces do not target recruitment activity at under-16s, and no visits to schools by the Armed Forces are directly linked to recruitment, other than careers fairs which generally involve a range of employers. Presentations may be given highlighting Armed Forces careers, but no pupil is ever signed up or able to make a commitment to become a recruit during the course of a visit.

What plans the Government has for civil service (a) headcount levels and (b) budgets for the next five years.

This government is committed to ensuring departments consider overall value for money in resourcing decisions.To this end it has introduced a 2% target for reduction to administration budgets in financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26 and a stop to all non-essential spending on consultancy, with an aim to halve spending in future years.As set out in the Budget, the government has committed to developing a long-term strategic plan for a more efficient and effective Civil Service, including bold options to improve skills, harness digital technology and drive better outcomes for public services. Decisions relating to the size and cost of the Civil Service workforce will be considered as part of the Spending Review process. HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office will work closely with departments to develop plans that achieve the government’s reform objectives for the Civil Service.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to (a) employer national insurance contributions and (b) the level of the minimum wage on the number of (i) apprenticeship starts for young people and (ii) apprenticeship providers.

To repair public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance.The government recognises the need to protect the smallest employers, which is why the Employment Allowance has been more than doubled to £10,500, meaning more than half of businesses with National Insurance Contributions (NICs) liabilities either gain or see no change next year. Employers will continue to be able to claim employer NICs reliefs, including the relief for employing apprentices under 25, where eligible.In addition, at the Autumn Budget 2024, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that from April 2025 the Apprentice Minimum Wage will increase by 18% from £6.40 to £7.55. The government has accepted the findings of the independent Low Pay Commission in full and this increase will boost the hourly wage for thousands of young apprentices across a range of sectors and those in their first year of an apprenticeship.The government remains committed to ensuring that apprentice wages support the attraction of talented individuals into apprenticeships and remain fair for employers. High quality apprenticeships are key to unlocking a more skilled and productive economy.

What plans he has for the future of NHS procurement frameworks.

As one of the interventions in the Strategic Framework for NHS Commercial and a workstream in the Commercial Efficiencies Optimisation Programme, NHS England launched an Accredited Framework Host programme in late 2023.The ambition is to drive efficiency by creating the best commercial routes to market for the National Health Service, aiming to create a healthy, competitive marketplace by de-duplicating framework agreements, to deliver high quality procurement outcomes.NHS England successfully accredited 20 Procurement Framework Host organisations, which cover £16 billion of third-party goods and services the NHS spent in 2023/24, all of whom have subscribed to enhanced standards. These standards cover a range of areas, from minimum contractual terms and conditions, robust supplier appointment and value for money assessment processes, through to the sharing of commercial and commission data with NHS England.Further details and the list of accredited host organisations is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/system-guidance-for-the-implementation-of-framework-host-management/

What proportion of offenders sentenced to a term of imprisonment were foreign born in (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024.

The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody, but it is not possible to identify an offender’s nationality at this point from the centrally collated court data. This information may be held on court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate costs.However, the number of foreign national offenders (FNOs) serving a prison sentence is available. On 30 June 2022, there were 6,214 FNOs serving a prison sentence; on 30 June 2023 there were 6,453 FNOs serving a prison sentence and on 30 June 2024 there were 6,486 FNOs serving a prison sentence. This information is routinely published in the department's Offender Management Statistics Quarterly (OMSQ) publication.We refer all foreign national offenders in receipt of custodial sentences to the Home Office. Foreign national offenders who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced and, where appropriate, we will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. This will help to manage prison pressures, keep the public safe and reduce crime.We are currently on track to remove more foreign national offenders this year than at any time in recent years and we are working across government to explore the ways we accelerate this work further.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of sentencing guidelines.

The independent Sentencing Council is responsible for the development of sentencing guidelines. The Council regularly evaluates the guidelines to ensure they are operating as intended.The Government is responsible for sentencing law, and last month we have launched an independent Sentencing Review, chaired by the former Lord Chancellor David Gauke.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals on prohibiting the practice of tethering horses by (a) roadsides and (b) on (i) common and (ii) waste grounds.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act), it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. The 2006 Act is backed up by the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids which provides owners with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their equines. As stated in the code, tethering is not a suitable method of long-term management of an animal. It should only be used as a short-term method. People who do not tether their horses appropriately risk causing their animals distress and suffering. Local authorities have powers under the 2006 Act to act to intervene where an animal is suspected to be suffering on any land, public or private.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of arrangements for standards enforcement in local government.

The Government is actively considering options to strengthen the standards regime for local government and provide councils with more effective means to address serious misconduct by elected members. We want to give local leaders the tools they need to establish and maintain a strong ethical culture within their authority, and give the people they serve the confidence that local democracy works for them.Our intention is to engage with local authorities, sector representative bodies, and other key stakeholders in due course to ensure a wide range of views are heard.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs travelled to the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme via (a) sea, (b) tunnel and (c) air in (i) 2023 and (ii) 2024.

Means of TransportJanuary – December 2023January – August 2024Air14,19610,904Sea98,09081,603Tunnel176,423142,142Total288,709234,649 The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is based on information provided by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals. Please be aware that this is subject to change as we often receive throughput returns from carriers months later.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs were imported under the Balai Directive in each month of (a) 2023 and (b) 2024 to date; and from which country did those dogs originate.

Please see attached Balai data for the number of dogs imported each month in 2023 and 2024. The EU data may include animals that have originated from a non-EU country but have travelled through an EU Border Control Post (BCP). The database records the EU BCP Country as the Country of Origin for these imports. The Rest of the World data will not include any animals that have arrived through an EU BCP. This information is drawn from the external Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS), not directly controlled by the department.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the extent of the involvement of teachers working in schools run by the UN Relief and Works Agency with Hamas; and whether any UK funding of that UN body is conditional.

We were appalled by the allegations that United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) staff were involved in the 7 October attacks against Israel. The Secretary-General and the Commissioner General of UNRWA took these allegations seriously and acted decisively. We expect robust processes to continue to be followed. UNRWA have confirmed that a Hamas leader killed in Lebanon, Fatah Sherif, was a staff member, suspended without pay while under investigation, and that the termination of his employment was imminent. We take this very seriously; UNRWA must meet the highest standards of neutrality as laid out in Catherine Colonna's report, including staff vetting and acting swiftly when concerns arise. The UK has allocated £1 million to support UNRWA to implement the report's recommendations. The FCDO will continue its own annual assessment of UK funding to UNRWA, which plays a vital role in saving lives in Gaza.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement.

At present, the department is working to ensure that our approach to lifelong learning will be as effective as possible and will enable people to gain the skills they need to support their careers.The government recognises that lifelong learning is a core part of a sustainable higher education system, which provides opportunities for all and offers learners greater flexibility in an ever-evolving economy.The department will make further announcements about this work shortly.

Whether she plans to review the opt outs for the teaching of religious education in secondary schools.

The government has launched an independent review of Curriculum and Assessment and will also consider any changes it wishes to make to support the aim of delivering a rich and broad curriculum for every child whilst the review is conducted.The Curriculum and Assessment Review group has launched a call for evidence, setting out a number of key questions and themes on which it would particularly welcome evidence and input to help direct the focus of the review and engagement with the sector over the autumn term. Anyone can access and respond to the call for evidence to provide a view on any area of the curriculum.