Written questions by Allin-Khan.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the recent increase in Overseas Registration Examination (ORE) Part 2 fees on the ability of dentists to sit the exam.

The Government recognises the challenges faced by overseas qualified dentists seeking to sit the Overseas Registration Examination (ORE), particularly in relation to waiting times.The General Dental Council (GDC) is the independent regulator of dental professionals in the United Kingdom and therefore is responsible for determining the standards that professionals wishing to practise in the UK must meet in order to be registered.The GDC has recently put in place a new delivery contract which will significantly increase capacity across both parts of the ORE. This represents an unprecedented expansion in exam throughput, with capacity for Part 1 and Part 2 sittings expected to increase to 2,400 and 1,500 places per year respectively. Overall, the expansion is projected to deliver a more than fivefold increase in the number of overseas-qualified dentists able to complete the ORE and join the register by 2028. This significant increase in capacity will enable greater throughput of the examination and is therefore expected to reduce waiting times for ORE candidates over the coming years. In addition, the GDC is developing a new candidate portal, including a revised booking system, as part of the new contract. This is due to be in place for exams scheduled in 2027.As an independent regulator, it is for the GDC to determine the appropriate fee level to effectively run the ORE examination. The GDC has indicated that the fee increase is necessary to support greatly expanded capacity under the new contract, including specialist facilities, examiners, quality assurance, and VAT on delivery costs.The Royal College of Surgeons of England provided an alternative route for overseas qualified dentists, the License in Dental Surgery. In March 2026, the Government announced grant funding to support an expansion of this examination route, which is expected to increase final exam places tenfold by 2028, from approximately 180 to a projected 1,800.

What steps he is taking to ensure that fertility patients under the South West London ICB can access three rounds of fertility care.

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population.On 31 March, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its updated fertility guideline, which recommends that women aged under 40 years old who meet the clinical eligibility criteria should be offered up to three full cycles of in vitro fertilisation.We expect all ICBs to consider and reflect the updated NICE fertility guideline in their commissioning decisions, and we are working with NHS England to support greater consistency in provision. The Government published the Women's Health Strategy on 15 April which commits to ensuring that every woman can easily access fertility services and we are currently working to assess current provision of NHS-commissioned fertility services as a baseline to inform supporting material for every ICB to implement the new NICE guidelines in full.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential application of artificial intelligence for supporting the interpretation of electrocardiograms in screening for inherited cardiac conditions in people aged 14 to 35.

The Government recognises that artificial intelligence (AI) has enormous potential for improving healthcare across all areas of the National Health Service and social care, including for cardiac conditions.The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is funding research into the potential impact of AI on diagnosis and treatment for major conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, and research into how the technology can be used to improve NHS services and reduce the burden of clinicians’ workloads.Between 2017 and 2023, the Department has invested £148 million through the NIHR and an additional £123 million through the AI in Health and Care Award to research AI in healthcare.

Whether his Department issues guidance to coroners on investigating potential cardiac causes in unexplained deaths of young people.

Coroners are independent judges and the Chief Coroner is responsible for providing national guidance and training. In 2014, the Chief Coroner issued joint guidance for coroners regarding investigations into potential cardiac causes of deaths in young people: https://www.judiciary.uk/guidance-and-resources/joint-guidance-for-coroners-and-coroners-officers-sudden-cardiac-death-inherited-heart-conditions/.This guidance was developed in conjunction with the British Heart Foundation, Cardiac Risk in the Young, the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the recording and classification of sudden cardiac deaths in people aged under 35.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for the processing, analysis, and publication of death records in England and Wales. Further information is available on the ONS website, at the following link:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/deathcertificationreformenglandandwales/9september2024to30june2025provisionaldata NHS England has a published a national service specification for inherited cardiac conditions (ICC) that covers patients who often present as young adults with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease or families requiring follow up due to a death from this cause. The specification states that specialist ICC services should follow recommendations for standards of care, best practice, care pathways, treatment algorithms, data collection, and audit.

Whether his Department has had discussions with Cardiac Risk in the Young on the use of its cardiac screening dataset to support the development of AI-enabled diagnostic tools.

Sudden cardiac death in the young is always a tragedy. Officials and Ministers from the Department have met with representatives from Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) on several occasions.The Department understands that the data set was recently published. The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) will open a public consultation to seek comments from members of the public and stakeholders on screening for the conditions associated with sudden cardiac death this spring. This public consultation will provide an opportunity for members of the public and stakeholders, including CRY, to draw the UK NSC’s attention to any relevant evidence and which could inform its recommendation.

Whether he has had discussions with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential for the UK to become a global leader in AI-enabled cardiac diagnostics through partnerships with the third sector and academic institutions.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and ministers across the Government regularly engage with colleagues, the National Health Service, academia, and industry on how the United Kingdom can strengthen its position as a global leader in the safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.The Government recognises the significant potential of AI‑enabled technologies, including in cardiac diagnostics, to support earlier detection, improve clinical decision‑making, and deliver better outcomes for patients. The UK already benefits from a strong life sciences ecosystem and world‑leading academic research, which play an important role in developing, evaluating, and deploying innovative diagnostic tools.Historically through programmes such as the NHS AI Lab, and current ongoing support for health data research through partnerships with universities, charities, and industry, the Government is creating the conditions for innovation to be translated safely into clinical practice. Any adoption of AI‑enabled diagnostics in the NHS is subject to robust evaluation, regulation, and clinical oversight to ensure patient safety and effectiveness through regulatory bodies such as The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a) cardiac screening and b) risk awareness programmes in secondary schools and further education colleges.

The Government is guided by the independent scientific advice of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC makes its recommendations based on internationally recognised criteria and a rigorous evidence review and consultation process. Where the committee is confident that offering screening provides more good than harm, they recommend a screening programme.The UK NSC last reviewed screening for the conditions associated with sudden cardiac death in people under the age of 39 years old in 2019. The conclusion of that review was that population screening should not be offered, as research showed that current tests are not accurate enough to use on young people with no symptoms.The UK NSC will open a public consultation to seek comments from members of the public and stakeholders on screening for the conditions associated with sudden cardiac death this spring. NHS England runs training sessions on first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the use of defibrillators both in the community and in schools.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of piloting targeted cardiac screening programmes for higher-risk groups of young people.

The Government is guided by the independent scientific advice of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC makes its recommendations based on internationally recognised criteria and a rigorous evidence review and consultation process. Where the committee is confident that offering screening provides more good than harm, they recommend a screening programme.The UK NSC last reviewed screening for the conditions associated with sudden cardiac death in people under the age of 39 years old in 2019. The conclusion of that review was that population screening should not be offered, as research showed that current tests are not accurate enough to use on young people with no symptoms.In the absence of an accurate enough test and an understanding of who to treat, cost-effectiveness modelling of a potential screening programme would not be informative.It would not be ethically appropriate to pilot a screening programme in circumstances where the current screening test is not accurate enough.The UK NSC will open a public consultation to seek comments from members of the public and stakeholders on screening for the conditions associated with sudden cardiac death this spring.

Whether his Department has undertaken recent cost-effectiveness modelling of cardiac screening for people aged 14 to 35.

The Government is guided by the independent scientific advice of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC makes its recommendations based on internationally recognised criteria and a rigorous evidence review and consultation process. Where the committee is confident that offering screening provides more good than harm, they recommend a screening programme.The UK NSC last reviewed screening for the conditions associated with sudden cardiac death in people under the age of 39 years old in 2019. The conclusion of that review was that population screening should not be offered, as research showed that current tests are not accurate enough to use on young people with no symptoms.In the absence of an accurate enough test and an understanding of who to treat, cost-effectiveness modelling of a potential screening programme would not be informative.It would not be ethically appropriate to pilot a screening programme in circumstances where the current screening test is not accurate enough.The UK NSC will open a public consultation to seek comments from members of the public and stakeholders on screening for the conditions associated with sudden cardiac death this spring.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of deaths from cardiac issues in young people.

The Department has made no specific assessment. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards to ensure health services meet the needs of their populations, including cardiology services.NHS England has a published a national service specification for inherited cardiac conditions that covers patients who often present as young adults with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease or families requiring follow up due to a death from this cause. This describes the service model and guidance that should be followed to support diagnosis and treatment of patients or family members. It also includes the requirement for specialised inherited cardiac conditions services to investigate suspected cases.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the cardiology workforce to meet demand for inherited cardiac condition diagnosis in young people.

The Department has made no specific assessment. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards to ensure health services meet the needs of their populations, including cardiology services.NHS England has a published a national service specification for inherited cardiac conditions that covers patients who often present as young adults with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease or families requiring follow up due to a death from this cause. This describes the service model and guidance that should be followed to support diagnosis and treatment of patients or family members. It also includes the requirement for specialised inherited cardiac conditions services to investigate suspected cases.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to prevent registered sex offenders from changing their names by deed poll.

The system for managing sex offenders and those that pose a risk of sexual harm is a crucial part of preventing sexual violence and delivering our mission to halve violence against women and girls.The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a range of legislative changes which will strengthen the management of registered sex offenders. Where the police consider it necessary to protect the public or children or vulnerable adults from sexual harm, it will enable them to serve a notice on offenders requiring them to seek the police’s authorisation before applying to change their name on a specified identity document (namely, a UK passport, driving licence or immigration document). The legislative changes will also require RSOs to notify the police of an intended change of name at least seven days in advance of using it, or if that is not reasonably practicable, as far in advance of their using it as it reasonably practicable.Our name change restriction focuses on ID documents, which are required for work, overseas travel, and accessing services, because that is where name changes can be monitored and a restriction robustly enforced.

Communities and Local Government, how many social housing tenancies have been let to domestic abuse survivors in each year from 2020/21 to 2024/25.

The number of new social lettings to households leaving their last settled home due to domestic abuse can be found in the ‘Social Housing Lettings’ statistics tenants tables 3p and 3pi on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions of the potential impact of people who have experienced domestic abuse being allocated unfurnished dwellings on the well-being of those people.

This government is committed to halving violence against women and girls within a decade. We have committed £550 million for victims’ services, with an additional 2% uplift each year, and £499 million over the next three years to support in safe accommodation for victims of abuse.People living without essential furniture, including victims of domestic abuse, can access support through their local authority, including via the Household Support Fund until 31 March, and from April, the Crisis and Resilience Fund, to provide discretionary help with essential items such as furniture.The government consulted on proposals to reform the Decent Homes Standard for both the social and private rented sectors. As part of this, we sought views on how furniture provision could be addressed within best practice guidance. Our response to the consultation was published in January 2026, confirming our commitment to issue guidance relating to furniture provision. The consultation response can be found on gov.uk here.

When he expects to announce the revised timetable for provision of McCloud Remedy statements to NHS workers who have already retired but have not been able to make their McCloud choice.

The Department recognises the importance of providing NHS Pension Scheme members certainty about when they will receive their McCloud Remediable Service Statements.An independent review of the NHS Business Service Authority’s revised plans for the delivery of the McCloud remedy for NHS Pension Scheme members is ongoing. The independent review team is expected to assess this revised delivery plan shortly. Subject to the review team's assurance, we intend to issue new deadlines and update the House in May 2026.In the meantime, the NHS Business Service Authority continues to provide Remediable Service Statements to affected members, prioritising those who may be most affected by the discrimination highlighted by the McCloud judgment. Additionally, members who meet specific criteria can request to receive a prioritised Remediable Service Statement. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/public-service-pensions-remedy-mccloud/making-your-decision-about-your-nhs-pension-benefitsThe Government is committed to ensuring that affected members are not subject to financial disadvantage due to these delays. Pension arrears arising from the McCloud remedy are paid with 8% interest, and a compensation scheme is available for members who have experienced other direct financial losses.'

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of families with children being refused (a) homelessness relief and (b) homelessness prevention duties by local authorities in England.

My Department publishes quarterly data on the number of households that do not qualify for a homelessness duty after initial assessment which you can access on gov.uk here. The Department provides clear guidance for local authorities in exercising their homelessness functions, including taking decisions on duties owed, in the Homelessness Code of Guidance, which you can access here. I wrote to council leaders and chief executives on Wednesday 25 February setting out local authorities’ legal duties to homeless families with children under the Housing Act 1996 and Children Act 1989.

Communities and Local Government, whether his department plans to publish timetables for the release of funds to local authorities for the delivery of housing for people seeking asylum.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 114248 on 2 March 2026.

When his department plans to publish the funding outcomes for the Hydrogen Allocation Round 2 project.

In April 2025 we shortlisted 27 projects to remain in the Hydrogen Allocation Round 2 (HAR2) process. We have now finished due diligence and cost assurance on these projects. Projects which pass will enter an Invite to Offer stage where we will award contracts to successful projects. We hope to move into this stage soon and aim to award contracts in 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent young people from becoming homeless.

We are taking action across government to provide targeted support to young people and their families at an earlier stage. The government has provided more than £1 billion funding for homelessness and rough sleeping services this year, which councils can use to meet the needs of people in their area including young people. Through our National Plan to End Homelessness we also committed to develop a national Youth Homelessness Prevention Toolkit and develop a dedicated chapter of the Homelessness Code of Guidance on young people, to support councils to work collaboratively with other public services to prevent youth homelessness.