Written questions by Gilmour.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a duty of care on universities in relation to extra-curricular activities carried out by affiliated student groups.

The department’s position is that a duty of care in higher education (HE) may arise in certain circumstances. Such circumstances would be a matter for the courts to decide, based on the specific facts and context of the case being considered and will be dependent on the courts’ application of accepted common law principles.The department would expect HE providers and their affiliated student groups to comply with relevant existing legislation and any other guidance. For example, that published by the provider and/or the National Union of Students on matters such as health and safety.

If his Department will make an assessment of the viability of tidal range power projects in the Severn Estuary.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) has launched a research innovation project to model the impacts and value of tidal range, we are expecting the report from this work soon and will consider its findings alongside the recently published Severn Estuary Commission report.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the level of pay for non-teaching staff in further education.

This government recognises the vital role non-teaching staff play within the further education (FE) sector, helping colleges to provide support to young people at a critical stage in their education.FE colleges, rather than government, are responsible for setting and negotiating pay within colleges. FE colleges were incorporated under the terms of the 1992 Further and Higher Education Act, which gives them autonomy over the pay and contractual terms and conditions of their workforce, including support staff.On 22 May, the department announced an investment of £160 million for colleges and other 16-19 providers in the 2025/2026 financial year. This funding will boost opportunities for learners across the country and drive forward delivery of the critical skills needed to grow our economy.Additional funding of over £30 million will be provided specifically for 16-19 provision in schools. This funding forms part of the overall £615 million funding envelope for 2025/26, which was announced alongside the 2025/26 school teachers’ pay award. Together, this means that a total additional sum of over £190 million will be available for 16-19 funding in the 2025/26 financial year.

What information her Department holds on what the average processing time for a shotgun license application was in the last 12 months.

The issuing of firearms certificates and the efficiency of police forces is a matter for individual Chief Constables and local Police and Crime Commissioners.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of consulting with experts from the voluntary support sector during the (a) planning for and (b) piloting of mental health support teams in schools.

As set out in the NHS Operational Planning Guidance 2025/26, integrated care boards are responsible for planning and implementing mental health support teams. Since the inception of the programme, guidance to local commissioners has been to engage with local partners including the voluntary sector in planning for mental health support teams, mapping local support, and through representation in local governance.

If his Department will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Pharmacy First initiative in relation to reducing the workload for GP surgeries.

National Health Service pharmaceutical services delivered in community pharmacy are subject to evaluations to assess various outcomes such as clinical appropriateness and impacts on other parts of the NHS. The National Institute of Health and Care Research is conducting an evaluation of Pharmacy First to assess how the service has been implemented across England, including impacts on prescribing in the general practice (GP) setting, use of hospitals and how the service has impacted access and cost for different patient groups.From July 2024 to February 2025, over 1.7 million Pharmacy First clinical pathway consultations were delivered by community pharmacies. In the same period, over 1.5 million minor illness referrals and 1.4 million consultations for urgent medical supplies were delivered by community pharmacies in England to support patients and help to alleviate the pressure on GP surgeries.Pharmacy First compliments and enhances the already wide range of services offered by community pharmacy including the provision of health advice and sale of over-the-counter medicines for a wider range of minor illness to support patients to selfcare rather than attend a GP, helping to increase access to care for patients closer to home in their communities.

If his Department will hold discussions with patient experience boards from integrated care boards to help inform the restructuring of (a) NHS England and (b) his Department.

The Department and NHS England are strongly committed to embedding patient experience across our work. On the transformation programme to restructure NHS England and the Department, the change is being explicitly designed to take forward the Government’s ambitious reform agenda and three strategic shifts which will be set out in the forthcoming 10-Year Health Plan. Patient experience will feature as a prominent theme in the Plan.Work is progressing at pace to develop the design and operating model for the new integrated organisation, and plan for the smooth transfer of people, functions and responsibilities. At the appropriate time, we will ensure that the public and parliamentarians are updated on developments.

If his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing medical exemptions to access NHS care for dental injuries caused as a result of epileptic seizures.

There are currently no plans to extend the list of people eligible for free National Health Service dental care to include those with dental injuries caused by epileptic seizures. Free NHS dental care is available to people who meet one of the following criteria: under 18, or under 19 and in full-time education; pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months; being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, keeping in mind that patients may have to pay for any dentures or bridges; and receiving low-income benefits, or under 20 and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits.Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for exemption or full remission of dental patient charges. More information is available at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/ Community dental services provide specialised dental services to people with additional needs and are available in a variety of places to ensure everyone can have access to dental care. These include hospitals, specialists’ health centres and mobile clinics, as well as home visits or visits in nursing and care homes. These services may be available to people with epilepsy, depending on their needs.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to legally redefine the term affordable housing to be linked to social rent.

To reflect this government’s priorities, the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 places greater emphasis on the delivery of Social Rent homes and includes a separate definition of Social Rent so that it is not referred to as just one of a number of types of affordable housing for rent.The government continues to consider what further steps we can take to honour our commitment to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the decision to cap the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund on children in adoptive and kinship care.

I refer the hon. Member for Tiverton and Minehead to the answer of 13 May 2025 to Question 49523.

If she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Office of the Public Guardian in investigating a person with lasting power of attorney.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has processes in place to review the performance of the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) and hold it to account. The MoJ reviews OPG performance through a system based on the Cabinet Office requirements for sponsorship of public bodies.We have no evidence OPG is failing to appropriately investigate allegations of abuse. The demand on OPG investigations has increased, so OPG is training additional investigators to meet demand, as well as process improvements to improve processing times. OPG continues to prioritise safeguarding concerns and reviews over 95% of all concerns received within 2 days. Whilst the time taken to conduct the investigation is longer than OPG’s target of 70 days, the investigations undertaken continue to be thorough and detailed, ensuring the right outcome is achieved.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the provision of emergency back up generators in rural (a) hospitals and (b) GP surgeries.

No national assessment has been made of the provision of emergency backup generators in hospitals and general practice surgeries. It is the responsibility of each National Health Service provider to have resilience plans and procedures in place.Guidance is provided to the NHS within the Health Technical Memorandum 06 series, namely Health Technical Memorandum 06-01: Electrical services supply and distribution, Health Technical Memorandum 06-02: Electrical safety guidance for low voltage systems, and Health Technical Memorandum 06-03: Electrical safety guidance for high voltage systems, which are all respectively available at the following three links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/electrical-services-supply-and-distribution-htm-06-01/https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/electrical-safety-guidance-for-low-voltage-systems-htm-06-02/https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/electrical-safety-guidance-for-high-voltage-systems-in-healthcare-premises-htm-06-03/This guidance is for healthcare organisation, defined as an organisation that provides or intends to provide healthcare services, and is therefore applicable to primary and secondary care providers.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the increase in employer National Insurance contributions on independent businesses in rural constituencies.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs). The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from these changes by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change. It means employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage without paying employer NICs.

Whether she made an assessment of the potential impact of removing the match-funding provision through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund on children in adoptive and kinship care before announcing those changes.

I refer the hon. Member for Tiverton and Minehead to the answer of 13 May 2025 to Question 49523.

If his Department will meet with Ofgem to discuss poor practice in the recouping of (a) missed and (b) underpaid payments in the energy sector.

The Department has regular meetings with Ofgem on a number of issues. The Government takes the issue of accurate billing very seriously. All suppliers must take all reasonable steps to reflect accurate meter readings in bills or statements sent to customers where these have been provided by a customer or obtained by the supplier. This is also laid out in the Ofgem’s licence conditions. Specifically, Ofgem’s Supplier Licence Conditions 21BA is clear that a back-bill can only be provided to a customer for electricity or gas used more than 12 months ago if they were not correctly billed for it at the time.Ofgem’s Supplier Licence Conditions 31I states that suppliers must ensure that domestic customers are provided with due notice prior to any increase in charges. All energy suppliers must follow Ofgem’s enforceable overarching principles of the Standard Licence Conditions 0 and 0A. These are a set of broad and enforceable ‘standards of conduct’ principles that set fundamental expectations on how suppliers must ensure fair treatment of each customer. These principles guide supplier behaviour, information provision, and customer service processes.

If she will make an assessment of the appropriateness of the duties of care homes in relation to Lasting Powers of Attorney for residents.

Evidence indicates the overall scale of abuse using lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) is low. There were just over 8 million powers of attorney on the Office of the Public Guardian’s (OPG) register in 2023/24. It completed investigations into around 2,800. 597 cases resulted in either court action or a requirement for the attorney to complete remedial action. In that context, a specific assessment at this time of the duties on care homes in relation to LPAs would not be a proportionate response.Anyone, including care home management or staff, who has a concern about how an LPA has been made or used should raise this with the OPG. The OPG has processes to investigate such issues and take appropriate action where necessary.Under the Care Act, where a local authority has reasonable cause to suspect that an adult in the local authority’s area has needs for care and support and appears to be at risk of, or experiencing abuse or neglect, and is unable to protect themselves as a result of those needs, the local authority must carry out a safeguarding enquiry. Where necessary, this would include raising concerns with OPG for investigation where a property and affairs LPA is in place, and they believe it has been used to perpetrate abuse.

If her Department will issue guidance on raising an issue of safety on a housing development where the operators are aware of the risks.

The Health and Safety Executive already provide guidance on raising health and safety issues in a workplace or public space. This can be found on their website www.hse.gov.uk/contact/tell-us-about-a-health-and-safety-issue.htm

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the Exmoor National Park Authority on the suitability of change of use applications for pubs on Exmoor.

Planning permission is always required to change use of a pub, ensuring that local consideration can be given to any such proposals through the planning application process, in consultation with the local community. Defra cannot comment on individual planning cases.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Oral Statement of 20 May 2025 on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Official Report, what discussions he has had with (a) his Israeli counterpart (b) other Israel representatives on that Statement.

On 20 May, I summoned the Israeli Ambassador to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and made clear the UK's opposition to expanded military operations in Gaza and rising violence & intimidation by Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. The UK will not stand by as this happens. We continue to have similar conversations at all official levels with the Israeli system to urge Israel to take action against violent settlers and halt settlement expansion which directly endanger the viability of a two-state solution.

If she will make an estimate of the (a) length in number of applicants and (b) duration of time of the backlog in Personal Independence Payment awards.

As at the end of January 2025, a total of 265,000 New Claims were in progress. This figure has been rounded to the nearest 1,000.For the average clearance times in median weeks for New Claims under Normal Rules, please see the Personal Independence Payment Official Statistics to January 2025, the information you requested can be found on Table 1A.