Written questions by Tice.

How many migrants who arrived in the UK illegally are housed in hotels; and what the daily cost is to the public purse of those hotels.

Data is published quarterly on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including accommodation type, and can be found within the Asy_D11 tab of our most recent statistics release at Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.Costs are subject to change depending on numbers being accommodated within the asylum system. Accommodation costs are commercially confidential therefore, the Home Office does not publish this information. However, total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, how many foreign nationals have been granted social housing in each of the last five years.

I refer hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 85086 on 4 November 2025.

What proportion of renewable energy equipment installed in the UK was manufactured in China.

The Government does not hold data on what proportion of renewable energy equipment installed in the UK was manufactured in China.

What recent estimate he has made of the cost to (a) the public purse, (b) businesses and (c) households of meeting net zero by 2050.

Net zero is the economic opportunity of the 21st century. Meeting climate targets will cost less than failing to deal with climate change. The Climate Change Committee estimates the cost of meeting net zero targets will be on average the equivalent of 0.2% of UK GDP per year and the OBR estimates the cost of failing to deal with climate change will be 5% of UK GDP per yearThe 0.2% cost also does not take into account the wider beneficial growth impacts of net zero investment. Since July 2024, £52bn of private investment has been announced in our clean energy industriesThe OBR is clear that the costs of climate damage are getting higher, while the cost of the net zero transition is getting lower. Only by investing in the transition now can we reduce costs in future.

What estimate his Department has made of the annual cost of housing foreign national offenders in UK prisons.

We do not disaggregate prison running costs by nationality and the cost to hold individuals depends on the category of prison. Our unit costs for holding prisoners are published on GOV.UK alongside the Prison performance data 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK. Data on the number of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) in custody is published in Offender management statistics quarterly: April to June 2025 - GOV.UK (prison population table 1_Q_9).Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. Between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025, over 5,000 were FNOs. This is an increase of 14% compared to the 4,532 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior.

If she will publish the unredcated Lloyd's Banking Group forward plan.

The government does not have plans to publish any further documents related to the EU State aid decision in 2009 concerning Lloyds Banking Group.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the additional costs to breweries arising from alcohol labelling and packaging regulations; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those costs on brewery closures in the next financial year.

The Government has worked closely with industry, including the brewing and hospitality sectors, throughout development of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR). In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging producers as a whole. This impact assessment did not split the assessment by sector. Defra has not made any recent changes to alcohol labelling regulations within its remit.

With reference to the Patient Safety Commissioner's report entitled The Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published on 7 February 2024, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the number of families affected, (b) the total cost of interim payments and (c) the projected cost of a main payment and care plan as outlined in that report; and if he will publish his Department’s analysis of those figures.

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her Report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s Report.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure continuity of community equipment services following the insolvency and receivership of NRS Healthcare; and what plans are in place to minimise disruption to patients reliant on (a) wheelchairs, (b) mobility aids, (c) hospital beds and (d) other essential medical equipment to prevent impact on (i) hospital discharge and (ii) independent living.

We recognise and share your concerns around ensuring the continuity of community equipment services following the insolvency of NRS Healthcare.Community equipment services are vital. The Partners in Care and Health programme, funded by the Government, has been working closely with local authorities to support continued service provision following the insolvency of NRS Healthcare. Local authorities have a statutory duty under various pieces of legislation, including the Care Act 2014 and the Children and Families Act 2014, to ensure the provision of disability aids and community equipment, to meet the assessed eligible needs of individuals who are resident in their area.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England includes targeted measures to improve the early diagnosis of (a) myeloma and (b) other blood cancers.

It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancers such as myeloma, as well as other unstageable cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, in order to improve outcomes.To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancer earlier and treating it faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.

For what reason HMRC charge a fee to taxpayers who pay their tax liabilities using a debit or credit card; and whether she plans to remove this charge.

I can confirm that no fees are charged when payment is made using a personal debit card. Fees only apply when using a corporate credit or corporate debit card, and these are in place to cover the processing costs charged by Visa/Mastercard, the Scheme Issuer and the Merchant Acquirer. To avoid these charges, a range of alternative methods are available to customers including Direct Debit and all the bank transfer payment options. Payments by personal credit cards are not accepted by HMRC as the associated processing costs for these cards are prohibitive.

If she will hold discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority on the steps it is taking to ensure that all consumers who were mis-sold car finance are fully compensated.

The Supreme Court has now clarified the law in relation to commission practices in the motor finance sector. The government respects the Supreme Court’s judgment and is working closely with the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority to understand the impact for both firms and consumers. The government notes the recent statement by the Financial Conduct Authority that it will be consulting on a consumer redress scheme in October. The FCA propose that the scheme covers discretionary commission arrangements - a practice banned in 2021 that allowed dealers to vary interest rates for higher commissions. The FCA will also consult on which non-discretionary commission agreements should be included.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports that patients at Pilgrim Hospital outpatients department are being left for extended periods without access to beds due to lack of bed availability; and what steps he is taking to ensure timely access to inpatient care in Lincolnshire.

The Government is clear that patients should expect and receive the highest standard of care and accepts that urgent and emergency care performance has been below the high standards that patients should expect in recent years. Providing care in corridors, and other inappropriate settings, is completely unacceptable.Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out the steps we are taking to ensure at least 78% of patients in A&E departments are seen within four hours, to reduce the number of patients waiting over 12 hours for admission or discharge from an emergency department, and to reduce ambulance handover times to a maximum of 45 minutes.NHS England has been working with trusts to put in place new reporting arrangements related to the use of temporary escalation spaces, to drive improvement. Subject to a review of data quality, this information will be published shortly, and we will consider how this data could be published on a more regular basis.

With reference to the report by Sands entitled Lost in the system, published in July 2025, what steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access across England to specialist psychological support services for parents who experience pregnancy or baby loss.

Experiencing pregnancy or baby loss can be extremely difficult and traumatic. The Government is determined to make sure all bereaved parents, regardless of where they live, have access to specialist psychological support.As of June 2025, Maternal Mental Health Services are now available in all areas of England. These services provide specialist psychological support for women with moderate/severe or complex mental health difficulties arising from birth trauma or baby loss.All trusts in England are also signed up to the National Bereavement Care Pathway. This pathway is designed to improve the quality and consistency of bereavement care for parents and families experiencing pregnancy or baby loss.We also recognise the importance of maternity bereavement services being available at all times. ‘7 days a week’ bereavement services are in the process of being set up in every area in England to support women and families who experience pregnancy loss or neonatal death.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that (a) NHS Lincolnshire and (b) other Integrated Care Boards implement the NICE Fertility Guideline recommending (i) three full cycles of IVF for eligible women under 40 and (ii) one full cycle for women aged 40 to 42; and if he will take steps to improve access to NHS-funded fertility treatment.

The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues between the Department and NHS England to improve NHS-funded fertility services.We expect integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guidelines and will consider whether the current recommendations for access to NHS-funded treatment are still appropriate. A consultation on revised guidelines was published on 10 September.In light of broader pressures on the National Health Service and on on-going changes within NHS England, we have been looking again at achievable ambitions to improve access to fertility services and fairness for all affected couples.

With reference to the report by Sands entitled Lost in the system: Saving babies’ lives, published on 10 July 2025, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that bereaved parents who have experienced pregnancy or baby loss have the same level of access to specialist psychological support in each postcode.

Experiencing pregnancy or baby loss can be extremely difficult and traumatic. We are determined to make sure that all bereaved parents, regardless of where they live, have access to specialist psychological support.As of June 2025, Maternal Mental Health Services are now available in all areas of England. These services provide specialist psychological support for women with moderate/severe or complex mental health difficulties arising from birth trauma or baby loss.All trusts in England are also signed up to the National Bereavement Care Pathway. This pathway is designed to improve the quality and consistency of bereavement care for parents and families experiencing pregnancy or baby loss.We also recognise the importance of maternity bereavement services being available at all times. Seven day a week bereavement services are in the process of being set up in every area in England to support women and families who experience pregnancy loss or neonatal death.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of consultants in (a) Lincolnshire NHS Trust and (b) other (i) rural and (ii) semi-rural areas; and if he will review (A) funding allocations and (B) workforce planning to ensure urgent cases are seen in a clinically appropriate timeframe.

We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. They will be more empowered, more flexible, and more fulfilled. We will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it.Doctors are more likely to settle and practice in the areas they train. We will work with the university and college sector to ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities, including in rural and semi-rural areas such as Lincolnshire.NHS England regularly keeps its funding allocations under review, and as set out in our recently published 10-Year Health Plan, we will break the old, short-term cycle of planning, and will ask all organisations to prepare robust and realistic five-year plans. Every organisation will be required to continue to refresh their plans over the medium term.Decisions about recruitment in individual NHS trusts are a matter for those trusts, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.

How much was paid in (a) Universal Credit, (b) Disability Living Allowance and (c) Personal Independence Payment to people who were not British citizens in each of the last five years.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

How much was paid in State Pension to people not born in the United Kingdom in (a) the most recent year for which data is available and (b) in each of the previous five years.

The Department does not hold information on the country of birth of individuals in receipt of the State Pension. State Pension eligibility is determined by an individual’s National Insurance record.

If she will take steps to ensure that (a) violent offenders and (b) people convicted of grievous bodily harm resulting in life-changing injuries are not inappropriately released early under existing early release schemes; and what review mechanisms are in place to assess whether the charge classification accurately reflects the severity of the offending behaviour in such cases.

This Government was left an unconscionable inheritance with the prison system days from collapse. To prevent the risk of gridlock across the Criminal Justice System, we had no choice but to take decisive actions to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. We changed the release point for certain standard determinate sentences from 50% to 40% (‘SDS40’) and increased the maximum Home Detention Curfew period from 6 months to 12 months. Both of these policies have extensive exclusion criteria, including sexual offences irrespective of sentence length and certain serious violent offences. Harm caused is one of the two core factors always taken into account when sentencing. The Crown Prosecution Service is responsible for bringing the right charge in all serious cases and there are established mechanisms for appealing unduly lenient sentences.