Written questions by Bedford.

Whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of abolishing the Office for Budget Responsibility.

The Chancellor and the Government are committed to the independence of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), and to its role at the heart of economic and fiscal policy making.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of abolishing the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

There are no plans to abolish the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that newly qualified physiotherapists are able to access Band 5 employment opportunities within the NHS, in the context of recruitment freezes and recent trends in the level of advertised posts across England.

Decisions on the recruitment and employment of newly qualified physiotherapists are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are working closely with NHS England, employers, and educators to improve transition into the workforce.

What steps he is taking to help increase physiotherapy employment opportunities for the cohort graduating in 2026.

Decisions on the employment of newly qualified physiotherapists are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are working closely with NHS England, employers, and educators to improve the transition into the workforce.

What plans he has to support physiotherapists that qualified last year into employment.

Decisions on the employment of newly qualified physiotherapists are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are working closely with NHS England, employers, and educators to improve the transition into the workforce.

Whether the number of arms-length bodies across Government departments has increased since July 2024.

Since July 2024, 10 Arms Length Bodies have been announced to deliver the manifesto the Government was elected on. In conjunction with this, the government is conducting a comprehensive review of the entire ALB landscape, as announced on 6 April 2025, this has already made progress with announcements of the closure of Building Digital UK and LocatED amongst others. This aims to streamline the state and increase ministerial accountability, a vital step toward creating a more productive and agile state.

What steps she is taking to ensure that organisations that hold licenses to use animals in science provide those animals with access to food and water; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the sanction given to people who fail to provide access to food and water.

All licensed establishments must fully uphold the required standards for animal welfare as set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) and the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes. This includes clear duties on ensuring animals have access to food and water.The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) audits establishments to assure compliance with these requirements and takes any potential non-compliance very seriously.Where incidents relating to access to food or water have occurred, ASRU has investigated them in line with its published Compliance Policy Framework, which sets out how potential non-compliance is identified, investigated, and addressed (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa).All cases are thoroughly investigated and ASRU applies the most suitable remedy based on the severity of the incident. A broad range of sanctions are available, and outcomes are published in ASRU’s Annual Report to support learning and ensure transparency. Through consistent delivery of the compliance policy the Regulator aims to drive up standards of welfare.

Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to review the requirement for platforms to implement client-side scanning and other automated content analysis tools under the Online Safety Act 2023 in the context of the scanning of private cloud storage and encrypted communications.

The Online Safety Act does not require platforms to implement client-side scanning or other automated content analysis tools on content communicated privately. The Act states that Ofcom may not recommend the use of proactive technology, such as client-side scanning, to analyse user-generated content communicated privately.This means that Ofcom’s codes cannot recommend that service providers deploy proactive technology in private or encrypted communications. The Department has no plans to review this section of the Act.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Department has made of the potential regulatory implications of treating water stress and water efficiency as separate classifications; and whether her Department plans to require Ofwat to link leakage performance to water stress designations.

Defra has not made any assessment of the regulatory implications of treating water stress and water efficiency as separate classifications. The department defines serious water stress as ‘the current household demand for water is a high proportion of the current effective rainfall which is available to meet that demand; or, the future household demand for water is likely to be a high proportion of the effective rainfall which is likely to be available to meet that demand’ and water efficiency as practices that reduce the demand on potable water. The department does not plan to link leakage performance to water stress designations as we continue to drive reform in both individual areas. Defra concluded a consultation on revising the water efficiency standards in the Building Regulations in December last year. As part of our response to the consultation, Defra will be assessing how water stressed classifications are used to drive water efficiency in homes. In the Water White Paper released this month, Defra committed to enabling smart metering implementation, which includes reviewing how charging scenarios differ for water stress classified areas and the ways in which this drives water efficiency.

What steps he is taking to reduce NHS waiting lists in Leicestershire.

Cutting waiting lists is a key priority for the Government. We have committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment (RTT) by March 2029.We are transforming elective services to ensure that patients get timely access to the care they need. This includes investing £6 billion of additional capital over five years for diagnostic, elective, urgent, and emergency capacity in the NHS.Elective capacity has been increased in Leicestershire through both a surgical hub and community diagnostic centres (CDC). The Leicester General Hospital Elective Hub opened in 2023, and with additional funding expanded further in 2024. Dedicated and protected surgical hubs focus on providing high volume low complexity surgery, separating elective services from urgent and emergency care, improving patient outcomes and reducing hospital pressures.Within the NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board we are improving community access to scans and tests, helping patients get the care they need through the Hinckley Community Diagnostic Centre and the Leicester Community Diagnostic Centre, both open 12 hours a day, seven days a week.In the NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board, which covers Leicestershire, the waiting list size has fallen by 1,000 since the Government took office in July 2024. The proportion of waits under 18 weeks in November 2025 is 54.8%.In order to return to the constitutional standard, NHS England is offering a range of support to providers to reduce waiting times. This includes tailored regional and national support, as well as sharing best practice, with additional support via the Getting It Right First Time programme.

What proportion of NHS procedures have been conducted in private hospitals in the 2025-26 financial year.

Improving elective performance and cutting waiting lists is a priority for the Government. We have made significant progress with patients being seen faster, and November saw the second biggest drop in the waiting list for 15 years outside of the early days of the pandemic.Fit for the Future: The 10-Year Health Plan for England and the Partnership Agreement between NHS England and the Independent Healthcare Providers Network reaffirmed our continued commitment to using independent sector capacity to improve access, reduce backlogs, and build a sustainable healthcare system.Between April 2025 and November 2025, the latest month for which data is available, independent sector providers delivered 9.9% of all elective ordinary and day case procedures for the National Health Service.

Whether her department holds an estimate of the number of criminals in the UK that arrived in the country by irregular means.

The information you have requested regarding the number of foreign criminals in the UK who arrived by irregular means is not available from published statistics.However, foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced and, where appropriate, we will pursue their deportation.The latest published information shows that in the year-ending October 2025, 5,430 foreign national offenders (FNOs) were returned, which is an increase of 12% compared to the number of FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior.

What steps his Department is taking to promote the use of small and medium sized businesses in the Department's supply chain.

Defence is an engine for growth. The Department is taking significant steps to promote the use of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within its supply chain. The new Office for Small Business Growth is being established to provide a single access point for SMEs and improve navigation across the Defence landscape. The existing Doing Business with Defence industry engagement team regularly attend events and shows across the country including working closely with our major suppliers and trade associations to engage smaller and non-traditional suppliers. Recent examples include DSEI in September and the DPRTE Defence Summit held in Manchester in October. Additionally, to expand regional reach, Regional Defence and Security Clusters (RDSCs) are being established throughout the UK, and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, supported by Innovate UK, is being developed to leverage cross-sector expertise and world-class research facilities.

What public consultation his Department has undertaken on planned changes to jury trials.

In developing his recommendations, Sir Brian Leveson and his expert advisers, including Professor David Ormerod, consulted with many external bodies involved in the Criminal Justice System including criminal legal organisations, charities, academics, and members of the judiciary.The Review conducted a call for evidence on GOV.UK, to ensure it heard as many perspectives as possible. A full list of those who engaged with the Review is at Annex C of Sir Brian’s report.In addition, when considering Sir Brian’s recommendations and developing our proposals, I have engaged regularly with stakeholders and relevant sectors over the last 12 months including meeting regularly representatives from the legal sector (Law Society, Bar Council, Criminal Bar Association), victims and victims representatives (the Victims Commissioner, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Rape Crisis), judiciary (Circuit leaders, Judicial leadership), magistracy (Magistrates’ Association, Magistrates’ Leadership Executive), non-governmental organisations (Appeal, JUSTICE, Transform Justice), court staff in criminal courts around the country (Wood Green, Snaresbrook) and similar international jurisdictions. For example, I met judges and visited courts in Canada, which uses types of judge-only trial.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to betting and gaming levies on illegal gambling operations in the UK.

Estimates suggest the illegal market is relatively small in the UK, between 2 – 9% of legal online market stakes. The Gambling Commission is already tackling this risk and protecting consumers, but we recognise that modern technology makes it easier for illegal websites to target consumers. To further secure the legitimate market and protect consumers from illegal sites, at Budget 2025, the government announced an additional £26 million of funding over the next three years for the Gambling Commission to strengthen enforcement and tackle illegal gambling.

What discussions she had with representatives of the hospitality sector ahead of the Autumn Budget 2025.

Ahead of the Budget Government Ministers and Senior Officials met with businesses and business representation organisations from a range of sectors, including those from the hospitality sector. These meetings provided an opportunity for the Government to hear the views of the business community to aid in the formation of policy, including fiscal policy. Such engagements are ongoing and will continue to be so. I, and the rest of HM Treasury, am deeply committed to engaging with the business community across the country. We believe that maintaining a regular and open dialogue with the business community is essential for understanding levels of business confidence and for shaping government policy to support growth and investment. These engagements are central to the Government’s ambition to foster a pro-growth, pro-investment environment throughout the UK. By listening directly to businesses, the Government is better able to respond to emerging challenges, seize new opportunities, and deliver policies that help businesses to thrive. Further information on meetings held by HM Treasury Ministers can be found on the gov.uk website via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the agricultural sector on the potential impact of proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief on the number of farm estates in the UK.

The Government regularly and actively engages with representatives from the farming industry through regular meetings and discussions, ensuring we listen to their views, understand their concerns, and take their feedback into account. At the November 2025 budget, the Chancellor announced that any unused allowance for the 100% rate of agricultural property relief and business property relief will be transferable between spouses and civil partners from 6 April 2026. The Government has taken this action after listening to feedback from stakeholders, who have called strongly for this change to the planned reforms to reduce complexity and remove an unfairness for widows/widowers.

How many migrants that possess a criminal record (a) in the UK and (b) abroad were previously thought by her Department to not hold a criminal record since July 2024.

The information requested is not readily available, requiring manual scrutiny of systems and matching of individual records, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

What estimate has she made of the number of people that will reduce their working hours following the introduction of National Insurance contribution on any salary sacrifice scheme exceeding £2,000.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to pensions salary sacrifice.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing asylum expenditure data by constituency.

The department publishes asylum expenditure data at national or regional level, which is more robust and meaningful for policy and operational purposes.All available information on asylum expenditure is published in the Home Office Annual Report and accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (opens in a new tab). Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, and by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (opens in a new tab).