Written questions by Holden.

What steps he is taking to ensure the adequate supply of needles for (a) diabetic and (b) other healthcare provision.

NHS Supply Chain sources, delivers, and supplies healthcare products for National Health Service trusts and healthcare organisations across England and Wales, and also has robust measures in place to ensure the continuity of supply of medical products, including needles. This includes close collaboration with suppliers, and managing supply levels. As a result of a broad supply base within the syringes and needles framework agreement, NHS Supply Chain seeks to maintain adequate volumes to meet demand, whilst minimising the risk of supply gaps.The Department has arrangements in place to help ensure the continuity of the supply of medical products, such as needles, in the event of disruption. This includes the National Supply Disruption Response (NSDR), which acts as a single point of contact to the health and care system in the event of a supply issue. In the event a shortage does occur, the NSDR can work with the medical supply industry, the health and care system, and our system partners to put mitigations in place to help minimise any impact to patients and the provision of care.

How many police officers are not able to have contact with the public due to ongoing misconduct investigations in each police force; and for how long the ten police officers who have not been able to have contact with the public for the longest period have been in this position.

The Home Office does not routinely collect data on the number of police officers who are prevented from having contact with the public due to on-going misconduct investigations, nor the length of time such restrictions have been in place The number of police officers subject to misconduct investigations in the financial year is published on an annual basis within the ‘Police misconduct, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-misconduct-statistics In addition, the number of officers who are suspended as at the 31 March in each financial year is published within the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the criteria for auto-enrolment for workplace pensions in the Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) Act 2023.

Security in retirement is a key priority for this Government We are undertaking a landmark Pensions Review, the second phase of which will consider further steps to improve pension outcomes, including assessing pension adequacy. This will consider options to build on the success of Automatic Enrolment, which has turned millions of people into pension savers.

What assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of abolishing business rates.

The government will create a fairer business rates system that protects the high-street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century. Autumn Budget 2024 announced the first steps including an intention to introduce permanently lower multipliers for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties from April 2026. To fund this sustainably the government also intends to introduce a higher multiplier on properties with Rateable Values (RV) of £500,000 or more. During the interim period, for 2025-26, RHL properties will receive a 40% relief on business rates bills up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business. The small business multiplier paid by properties with RVs below £51,000 will also be frozen for a further year. The government published a discussion paper at Budget which sets out priority areas for further reform and invites stakeholders to a conversation about transforming the system over the Parliament.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making (a) rozanolixizumab, (b) zilucoplan and (c) efgartigimod available to NHS patients with myasthenia gravis (MG); and what (i) representations his Department has received from and (ii) meetings his Department has had with MG patients on that matter.

The Department has made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes evidence-based 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 is currently evaluating rozanolixizumab, zilucoplan, and efgartigimod within their licensed indications for the treatment of myasthenia gravis, and has not yet published final guidance.The Department has received correspondence letters from constituents via their Member of Parliament regarding myasthenia gravis and the treatment for this condition, but there have not been any recent meetings between Ministers and patients with this condition.

How many and what proportion of radiotherapy machines are beyond their recommended working life in each (a) integrated care board and (b) hospital.

The Department does not hold data on how many and what proportion of radiotherapy machines are beyond their recommended working life in each integrated care board and hospital. From April 2022, the responsibility for investing in new radiotherapy machines sits with local systems.Cancer patients are waiting too long for treatment. We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer on time and treating it faster, so that more patients survive this horrible set of diseases, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system. We will address the challenges in diagnostic waiting times, providing the number of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and other tests that are needed to reduce elective and cancer waits.

What steps he is taking to help improve waiting times for radiotherapy treatment.

The Department does not hold data on how many and what proportion of radiotherapy machines are beyond their recommended working life in each integrated care board and hospital. From April 2022, the responsibility for investing in new radiotherapy machines sits with local systems.Cancer patients are waiting too long for treatment. We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer on time and treating it faster, so that more patients survive this horrible set of diseases, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system. We will address the challenges in diagnostic waiting times, providing the number of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and other tests that are needed to reduce elective and cancer waits.

What proportion of people no longer eligible for the winter fuel allowance are higher or additional rate taxpayers.

The Winter Fuel Payment continues to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit . This means that the Winter Fuel Payment will be better targeted to low income pensioners who need it. Winter Fuel Payments are paid on a household basis whereas taxpayer status is on an individual basis.455,000 individuals over the state pension age are estimated to pay higher rate income tax, and 39,300 additional rate income tax.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Lithuanian counterpart on the decision of that country to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.

The Foreign Secretary has not raised the proscription of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with Lithuania's Minister for Foreign Affairs. We do not comment on whether a specific organisation is or is not being considered for proscription. We have sanctioned the IRGC in its entirety and will continue work to identify further ways to counter it at home and abroad.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2024 to Question 9237 on Pensioners: Tax Rates and Bands, for what reason does Government not publish this data.

The Winter Fuel Payment continues to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. This means that the Winter Fuel Payment will be better targeted to low income pensioners who need it. This was a tough decision, but the right decision given the public finances. The Winter Fuel Payment is paid by the Department for Work and Pensions on a household basis whereas taxpayer information is held by HMRC on individual basis. As such HMT does not hold this data at a household level. DWP does however publish data on pensioner incomes; this can be found at Pensioners' Incomes Series: Financial year 2021 to 2022.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with international partners to help protect United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) personnel from attacks by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

The UK Government condemns all threats to United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon's (UNIFIL) security and calls on all parties to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel at all times and to allow UNIFIL to continue carrying out its mandate. In a call on 16 October with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the Foreign Secretary discussed the need for all parties to ensure freedom of movement for UNIFIL personnel. We are also calling on Hizballah to de-escalate immediately and urging Iran to stand down their proxy. Only a political solution, consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, can bring stability and security to South Lebanon. The UK continues to work in lockstep with our allies, including Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt to de-escalate the situation and we urge all parties to end this cycle of violence.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of alleged reports that Hezbollah plans to advance into Galilee in Israel on the UK's strategic interests.

The UK Government has not yet made an assessment on this specific issue. However, we have been clear that resolving the on-going conflict is key to regional security. The United Kingdom condemns Hizballah's attacks on Israel over the last 11 months, which have driven more than 60,000 people from their homes. These unjustified attacks have brought misery to ordinary people in Lebanon and Israel. They have done nothing to end the conflict in Gaza or secure Palestinian statehood. Hizballah has been proscribed in its entirety as a terrorist organisation since 2019. The UK has long had a no-contact policy with Hizballah. The UK does not provide any assistance or funding to Hizballah, Hizballah-led ministries or Hizballah-led institutions.

How many pupils are in state education per year group in England.

The most recently published statistics on the number of pupils at schools in England are from the January 2024 school census and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.The table at the following link gives the number of state-funded school pupils by national curriculum year group as of that census: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/c9d612cd-f178-4ca0-a02a-08dcedcd278c.

How many (a) teachers, (b) teaching assistants and (c) other staff are employed in state schools in England.

Information on the school workforce, including the headcount and full-time equivalent number of teachers, teaching assistants, and other support staff in state-funded schools, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.The specific information requested is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/db9348ac-a1d5-453e-1737-08dcedc9c179.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2024 to Question 6585, how much and what proportion of the money accruing to the Treasury as a result of changes to eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment she expects to come from people paying the (a) higher and (b) additional rate income tax.

The Government does not publish such data.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the children of those imprisoned are (a) identified and (b) offered support.

The Government recently published the first official statistics to estimate the number of children affected by parental imprisonment using administrative government data. It's estimated that between 1 October 2021 and 1 October 2022 there were around 193,000 children with a parent in prison. We fully recognise the importance of being able to identify children with a parent in prison to make sure they receive the support they need to flourish and thrive, which is why a commitment on this was included in our manifesto. The Ministry of Justice is working closely with the Department for Education to determine how to effectively identify these children and provide support for both them and for the parent in prison. The support will be informed by lessons from previous interventions and pilots, and engagement both with those with lived experience and organisations from the Voluntary, Charity and Social Enterprise sector.

What steps she is taking to help reduce the impact of off-payroll working rules on the financial services sector and those working in it; and whether she plans to review those rules.

The Government keeps all tax policy and legislation under review. The Government and HMRC published both external research and internal analysis on the impacts of the 2021 reform in the private and voluntary sectors here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/short-term-effects-of-the-2021-off-payroll-working-rules-reform-for-private-and-voluntary-sector-organisations https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impacts-of-the-2021-off-payroll-working-rules-reform-in-the-private-and-voluntary-sectors/impacts-of-the-off-payroll-working-rules-reform-in-the-private-and-voluntary-sectors HMRC will continue to provide support and guidance to individuals and businesses operating the rules, including those in the financial services sector, and will continue to look for opportunities to improve the way these rules work in practice.

What discussions she has had with the insurance industry on ensuring that premiums for homeowners do not increase substantially.

Treasury Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors on an ongoing basis.Insurers make commercial decisions about pricing and the terms of cover they offer based on their assessment of the relevant risks. This is usually informed by the insurer’s claims experience and other industry-wide statistics. The respective capabilities of insurers to assess risk is a key element on which they compete and the Government does not intend to intervene in these commercial decisions as this could damage competition in the market. However, the Government is determined that insurers should treat all customers fairly and insurance companies are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules. The FCA is an independent body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry. The FCA monitors firms to make sure they provide products that are fair value, and, where necessary, it will take action.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the new Early Release Scheme on the families of those released.

The Government was forced to introduce SDS40 to avoid the collapse of the criminal justice system. At the point when SDS40 came into effect on 10 September, the use of End of Custody Supervised Licence came to an end. In designing the SDS40 measure, we took every possible step to communicate with victims about the change and the impact it could have. We also put in measures to mitigate risk including an 8-week implementation period, clear offence exclusions, and a huge amount of collaboration with partners across the Criminal Justice System.We considered the impact of SDS40 on the families of those released in our Impact Assessment highlighting how it may help resettlement and rehabilitation of eligible offenders, as earlier release into the community will mean they will be able to support themselves and their families earlier in their sentence.

Whether his Department has made a comparative assessment of the potential environmental impact of (a) importing coal from abroad for domestic consumption and (b) mining coal in the UK.

In line with our net zero target, we committed to phasing out unabated coal-fired power generation by 1st October 2024, a year earlier than the original 2025 target, and on September 30th Great Britain’s last coal fired electricity power plant, Ratcliffe-upon-Soar, closed. This means we have reduced coal’s share of our electricity supply from around a third, to zero in the space of only ten years. Most imported coal is used by industry, including steel making, cement and chemical industries, and patent fuel manufacture. Coal production and import information can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66a7a172a3c2a28abb50d8be/DUKES_2024_Chapter_2.pdf