Written questions by Bedford.

What work is being done to investigate the use of body mass index thresholds as a means of determining eligibility for joint replacement surgery.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Rushcliffe on 20 November 2025 to Question 89688.

How are musculoskeletal conditions being prioritised within the neighbourhood health framework.

The Neighbourhood Health Framework is designed to provide clarity and consistency to integrated care boards (ICBs), local authorities, and their partners, in developing and scaling neighbourhood health.The framework outlines the national minimum aims and objectives of Neighbourhood Health Services. This includes improving health outcomes with specific focus on high-priority cohorts, including people with frailty. Whilst frailty and musculoskeletal overlap, we recognise that many people with conditions affecting their joints, bones, and muscles across their life course are not frail.It is important that reforms are locally led, as ICBs and local authorities are best placed to design services that make sense for their local populations. Local systems can choose to go further than the minimum aims set out in the framework, and this could include musculoskeletal services.We know there are areas where we need to go further. Delivering a Neighbourhood Health Service will be an incremental process as local understanding develops and national reforms progress.

Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to betting and gaming levies on illegal gambling operations.

The issue of illegal gambling is a concern for this Government. We are committed to working closely with the Gambling Commission to ensure that illegal gambling, in all its forms, is addressed. As part of the 2025 Budget, the Treasury announced that the Gambling Commission will receive an additional £26 million across three years to increase investment, resources and capacity to tackle the illegal market. The government has also launched the Illegal Gambling Taskforce which brings together a wide range of stakeholders to take action against the illegal market. We will continue to engage with the sector and the Gambling Commission to understand any impacts of duty changes.

If she will make an estimate of the number of small boat migrants that have re-entered the UK in 2026 that have previously been removed from the country.

The Home Office will publish statistics on returns from the UK up to March 2026 on 21 May 2026. Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account several factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of public consultations for local government reorganisation for people without access to the internet.

The government is keen that all interested parties, including local residents, can have their say on the future of local government in their area. Members of the public who wish to engage can submit responses online or in writing by email or post, in line with the consultation arrangements. There are no plans to carry out a separate assessment of consultation accessibility.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the nationality of foreign office civil servants on government policy.

All civil servants are appointed on merit and are required under the Civil Service Code to provide impartial, objective advice to Ministers.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to Inheritance Tax on private pension provision.

Most unused pension funds and death benefits payable from a pension will form part of a person’s estate for inheritance tax purposes from 6 April 2027. This removes distortions resulting from changes that have been made to pensions tax policy over the last decade, which have led to some pensions being openly used and marketed as a tax planning vehicle to transfer wealth, rather than as a way to fund retirement. These reforms also remove inconsistencies in the inheritance tax treatment of different types of pensionsThe Government will continue to incentivise pension savings for their intended purpose of funding retirement, with ongoing tax reliefs on both contributions into pensions and on the growth of funds held within a pension scheme. Pensions continue to benefit from very significant tax benefits, with gross income tax and National Insurance contributions relief costing £78.2 billion in 2023-24. It is therefore crucial to ensure that tax reliefs on pensions are being used for their intended purpose – to encourage saving for retirement and later life – rather than for passing on wealth free of inheritance taxEstates will continue to benefit from the normal nil-rate bands, reliefs, and exemptions available. For example, the nil-rate bands mean an estate can pass on up to £1 million with no inheritance tax liability and the general rules mean any transfers, including the payment of death benefits, to a spouse or civil partner are fully exempt from inheritance tax. More than 90 per cent of UK estates will continue to have no inheritance tax liability in 2030-31 following these changes and the reforms will only affect a minority of those with inheritable pension wealth.

What change there has been in the number of hotels used to accommodate asylum seekers since 4 July 2024 for which the latest data is available.

Exiting all asylum hotels as soon as possible is one of the Government’s top priorities and must be executed through a controlled, managed and orderly plan of work. This plan involves reducing inflow, speeding up caseworking, maximising utilisation of our estate, continuing to increase returns and exploring the use of large sites as suitable alternative accommodation.From a high of over 400 asylum hotels in summer 2023 at a cost of nearly £9 million a day. As of 4 January 2026, there are 197 hotels in use. We will close every asylum hotel as soon as possible and before the end of this Parliament.

Whether her Department has made an internal (a) estimate and (b) similar type of projection for the net fiscal impact of immigrants in the UK over their lifetimes since July 2024.

The Migration Advisory Committee has produced an assessment of the lifetime fiscal impact of migrants in the UK, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6938108633c7ace9c4a41e42/ The_Fiscal_Impact_of_Immigration_Final__1_.pdfFurther analysis of those on a Family visa is included in the 2025 Annual Report: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migration-advisory-committee-annual-report-2025/migration-advisory-committee-mac-annual-report-2025-accessible#chapter-1-fiscal-analysis-of-the-family-visa

If she will publish student loan repayment data, broken down by national origin, for the last academic year for which data has been collated.

The number of student loan borrowers who are not UK Nationals and withdrew from their latest recorded course in 2024/25 was 15,000 (to the nearest 500).The department and the Student Loans Company have strengthened the quality and consistency of data in this area and now hold reliable information on borrowers’ UK national status and nationality.

How many foreign nationals claiming student loan or a maintenance loan dropped out of their courses in the last academic year for which data is available.

The number of student loan borrowers who are not UK Nationals and withdrew from their latest recorded course in 2024/25 was 15,000 (to the nearest 500).The department and the Student Loans Company have strengthened the quality and consistency of data in this area and now hold reliable information on borrowers’ UK national status and nationality.

Whether her Department considers a person's potential impact on social cohesion and their likelihood of integration when assessing their asylum claim or visa application.

Every asylum claim is considered on its individual merits by assessing all the evidence provided by the claimant in light of published country information guidance.Refugee status is granted when someone has a well-founded fear of persecution under the Refugee Convention for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. They must show that they cannot seek protection from the authorities in their country and cannot reasonably move to another part of their country to avoid persecution. However, we can deny protection to those who commit serious crimes or represent a threat to national security. Article 1F of the Refugee Convention allows signatory states to exclude those who would otherwise be refugees where there are serious reasons for considering they are guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity, serious non-political crimes or acts contrary to the purpose and principles of the United Nations.This Government has published an asylum policy statement, setting out a fair and firm approach to restoring order to the system, which is essential for building community cohesion. By increasing public confidence in the integrity of the asylum system, the reforms will help build trust and reduce tensions within communities. At the same time, they support successful integration for those granted protection, enabling them to contribute positively to society. Integration brings significant benefits for individuals, taxpayers, and communities. These measures will encourage and enable people granted protection to become self-sufficient, law-abiding members of UK society.For visa applications, decisions are made against the specific suitability and eligibility requirements set out in the Immigration Rules for the relevant route.In all cases, decisions are made on the basis of the law and published policy, ensuring that applications are considered fairly, consistently, and without discrimination.

How many apprentices the Department recruited in 2025, compared with (a) 2022, (b) 2023, and (c) 2024.

YearNumber of New Apprentices RecruitedTotal Apprenticeship Starts (New Recruits and Internal Conversions)2022369520233512620244210120252965 The Department had a greater number of apprenticeship starts overall during this period, as the total figures include existing members of staff converting to an apprenticeship in addition to the new recruits shown above. These total apprenticeship starts were primarily composed of existing staff upskilling rather than new external recruitment.

How many apprentices the Department recruited in 2025 compared with (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024.

The Northern Ireland Office recruited 1 apprentice in 2023 and 1 in 2025 for a 2-year term. We did not recruit any apprentices in 2022 or 2024.

How many apprentices the department recruited in 2025, compared with the figures for i. 2022, ii. 2023 and iii. 2024.

The majority of apprenticeships in the Department are held by existing employees who started an apprenticeship after they had joined the Department.The following figures refer only to people who were recruited specifically to a role as an apprentice in each year:- zero in 2025;- seven in 2024;- zero in 2023; and- zero in 2022.

Communities and Local Government, how many apprentices the department recruited in 2025, compared with the figures for i. 2022, ii. 2023 and iii. 2024.

There are two different ways of counting apprenticeship recruitment:Definition A: colleagues who joined on an apprenticeship contract.Definition B: colleagues who joined MHCLG via a role which was advertised as including an apprenticeship and subsequently began an apprenticeship after joining.Both definitions are included below. The source of this information is MHCLG recruitment data. The number of apprentices the MHCLG has recruited in the requested years are as follows: Definition ADefinition B202200202382120241317202500

How many civil service employees were on performance management plans in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Data on how many civil servants have a performance management plan in place is not captured centrally.

What was the total value of non-contractual severance payments across the civil service establishment in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

All government departments are required to disclose information on exit payments in their Annual Reports and Accounts, in line with the Government Financial Reporting Manual. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-reports-and-accounts-for-central-government-departments.

How many apprentices the Department recruited in 2025, compared with the figures for i. 2022, ii. 2023 and iii. 2024.

As the policy holder for apprenticeships and skills, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recognises the value of apprenticeships in building skills and kickstarting careers. We are committed to creating meaningful apprenticeship opportunities within our department and are proud to be 6th in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers ranking. Since 2022, we have created opportunities for over 500 Universal Credit claimants to start a Level 2 or 3 apprenticeship with entry-level work experience within the department through our Social Mobility Apprenticeship scheme, with many apprentices securing permanent employment in DWP. We have also created apprenticeship opportunities for young people who would have otherwise been at risk of becoming not in education, employment or training (NEET) through our School Leaver SMA scheme. In 2025, the Department for Work and Pensions had 907 apprenticeship starts, compared with 1824 in 2022, 1348 in 2023 and 1142 in 2024. Numbers have been limited in recent years by headcount restrictions in the Civil Service. At the same time, we have diversified our entry routeways including an increased focus on our other life chances schemes such as Movement to Work, in addition to apprenticeship opportunities. We have also focussed on improving the overall quality and relevance of our apprenticeship programmes to ensure that they support colleagues to develop the right skills and capabilities for DWP roles, particularly in priority areas such as Digital and Counter Fraud.

What research his Department has conducted into changes in the number of cases of auto immune disorders since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), has funded several studies which explore links between SARS‑CoV‑2 infection and autoimmunity.For example, in April 2025, researchers funded by the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre and the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in respiratory infections at Imperial College published a review on the mechanisms through which autoimmune responses can arise during and after viral infection, focusing on the evidence for B-cell dysregulation and autoantibody production in acute and long COVID.In 2023, NIHR-supported researchers at the University of Birmingham conducted analysis of United Kingdom primary care records to review the incidence of immune-mediated inflammatory disorders, such as type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis. The NIHR has also commissioned targeted studies to investigate underlying mechanisms. These include The immunologic and virologic determinants of long COVID study, from Cardiff University, which is examining whether SARS‑CoV‑2 infection can trigger persistent immune activation or autoimmune processes in the post-COVID period. Another NIHR-funded project, Immune analysis of long COVID from Imperial College London, is investigating post-COVID immune dysfunction.NIHR-funded research is published and made publicly available, with findings shared through journals and NIHR Evidence.