Written questions by Lowe.

What the average waiting was for an irregular migrant to see a (a) healthcare professional and (b) dentist in the latest period for which data is available.

We do not hold data on the expenditure of dental services for irregular migrants, or the average waiting time to see a healthcare professional or a dentist.We are tackling the immediate dental crisis with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most.The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain by tackling the inequalities that contribute to poor health, particularly for disadvantaged groups. We are dedicated to ensuring that people live well for longer, spending less time in ill health, regardless of where they are born or their financial circumstances.

How much his Department has spent on dental services for irregular migrants in each year since 2018.

We do not hold data on the expenditure of dental services for irregular migrants, or the average waiting time to see a healthcare professional or a dentist.We are tackling the immediate dental crisis with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most.The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain by tackling the inequalities that contribute to poor health, particularly for disadvantaged groups. We are dedicated to ensuring that people live well for longer, spending less time in ill health, regardless of where they are born or their financial circumstances.

How many and what proportion of irregular migrants who arrived in the UK since 2020 have (a) previous criminal convictions and (b) subsequently obtained a criminal record.

s has been the case for many years, the information requested is not routinely published.We are committed to delivering justice for victims and safer streets for our communities. Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced and, where appropriate, we will pursue their deportation, and they will be swiftly removed from the country.

How much her Department has spent on asylum support in each year since 2018.

The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts at HO annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab).Prior to 2023/24 asylum support costs were not published separately.The government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly, and fairly, this includes reviewing all spending to ensure the best value for money for the British taxpayer.

Whether he is taking steps to tackle changes in the level of fertility rates.

No specific steps are being taken to make changes in the level of fertility rates. However, the Government will be receiving advice on the provision of National Health Service funded fertility services, and will be considering future policy options shortly.

How many individuals claiming Universal Credit have received fit notes for each of the last three financial years.

The number of people on Universal Credit in Great Britain who submitted an accepted fit note to the Department for each of the last three financial years is shown in the table below: 2021 to 20222022 to 20232023 to 2024854,390896,790908,740 Notes:Numbers are rounded to 10.Although most will have submitted Statements of Fitness for Work (fit notes), other forms of medical evidence that the Department accepts (e.g. hospital discharge letters) will be included in the totals.Data is taken from Universal Credit analytical systems but results have not been quality assured to Official Statistics publication standard.The Department regularly publishes Universal Credit Health Journey caseload statistics on Stat-Xplore including the monthly number of people on UC Health with a current fit-note.

How many incidents of assault there were by irregular migrants against her Department's staff in each year since 2018.

As has been the case during successive administrations, this data is not routinely published. We will take every measure possible to keep Home Office employees safe at work, and any criminality will face the full force of the law.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of staff employed by his Department work exclusively on farming issues.

The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.

If he will publish a list of the hotels housing irregular migrants, broken down by star rating; and if he will provide the number of irregular migrants in each hotel.

Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, by local authority and accommodation type, can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent stats release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab). For the safety and security of the asylum seekers accommodated and staff, the Home Office does not publish the location of accommodation sites.

How many habitual residence tests have been granted in each year of the last five years.

With the exception of Universal Credit, the information requested is not held centrally for the relevant DWP benefits and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs. DWP uses the habitual residence test for income-related benefits (Universal Credit, State Pension Credit and Housing Benefit) to assess whether customers have a legal right to reside in the UK and whether they are factually habitually resident in the UK, as required in legislation. The habitual residence test is designed to prevent access to the welfare system for those who are not eligible and do not have an intention to live and/or work in the UK, ensuring both fairness in accessing public funds and that only those eligible are able to access benefits. All claimants must meet the requirements of the habitual residence test, including British citizens returning from periods of time living abroad, unless they are part of an exempt group as laid out in legislation (such as those fleeing specific humanitarian crises abroad specified in relevant secondary legislation).

Whether each of the armed forces has diversity targets.

The Armed Forces do not have diversity targets. There are agreed Levels of Ambition for recruitment and representation of females and ethnic minority personnel. In a competitive age, our advantage derives from the talent and skills of our people. We must attract, recruit, and retain the best people drawn from the broadest diversity of thought, skills and background – it is mission critical to our operational effectiveness and to ensuring we continue to meet the threats we face and safeguard the security, stability and prosperity of our nation.

How many irregular migrants have landed in (a) Norfolk and (b) Great Yarmouth constituency since 2018.

On a daily basis, the Home Office publishes data on the number of small boats crossing the Channel that have been involved in uncontrolled landings. The latest such publication, and a time series dating back to 2018, can be found at the following link:Statistics relating to Illegal Migration - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)We do not hold data in an easily accessible format for the number of these boats to arrive in Norfolk or in the Great Yarmouth Constituency.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of immigration on the road system.

The Department models future demand for road transport based on Office for National Statistics population forecasts, which include changes in population arising from immigration and other demographic change. Furthermore, the Department’s Common Analytical Scenarios consider futures that include high or low immigration to enable future uncertainty to be taken into account.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of irregular migrants that entered the UK via the English Channel whose whereabouts are no longer known.

On a daily basis, the Home Office publishes data on the number of small boats crossing the Channel that have been involved in uncontrolled landings. The latest such publication, and a time series dating back to 2018, can be found at: Small boat activity in the English Channel - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

If she will publish a breakdown of crimes committed on the transport network by (a) nationality and (b) category of crime in each of the last five years.

It is currently not possible to separately identify all crimes committed on the transport network but the Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of crimes recorded by the British Transport Police that occurred in England and Wales. The BTP is responsible for policing the railway network, London Underground, the Docklands Light Railway, Croydon Tramlink and the Midland Metro.Data on the number of crimes recorded by BTP for each of the last five years broken down by offence type, is available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tablesInformation on the nationality of offenders is not routinely collected.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of staff employed by his Department have experience in farming.

The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of quantitative easing on inflation.

The Bank of England has operational independence from the government to carry out its statutory responsibilities for monetary policy and financial stability. Monetary policy, including quantitative easing, is the responsibility of the independent Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England. The government remains committed to monetary policy independence, and rightly does not comment on the conduct or effectiveness of monetary policy. The Bank of England regularly conducts and publishes analysis on the inflationary impact of its monetary policy, including quantitative easing and quantitative tightening.

How many NHS staff (a) were dismissed and (b) resigned due to mandatory Covid-19 vaccination regulations.

No National Health Service staff were dismissed due to the regulations requiring COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of deployment. Those regulations were revoked before they came into force. The information requested on resignations is not held by the Department.

How much his Department has spent on (a) external tenders and (b) contracts for (i) translation and (ii) interpretation services in the NHS in each of the last five years.

The following table shows the Department’s expenditure against current and expired contracts with external suppliers of translation or interpretation services, in each of the last five financial years:Year2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Expenditure£9,857£72,898£898,354£133,148£28,830 The majority of this work has been for supporting different initiatives and functions within the National Health Service.*The significant increase in expenditure was due to additional services required to support the response to Covid-19 in the NHS e.g. at vaccination and testing sites.

How many and what proportion of prisoners released under the early release scheme have been rearrested since September 2024.

Reoffending rates are published regularly on an annual and quarterly basis. The most recent rates are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/proven-reoffending-statistics.Prisoners released on SDS40 will be subject to licence and liable to recall to prison if they do not comply or are judged a risk to public safety.Data on recall and reoffending of prisoners released since September 2024 forms a subset of data intended for future publication.