Written questions by Bhatti.

What assessment she has made of the the potential impact of changes in business rates on serviced office buildings.

It is the Valuation Office Agency’s (VOA) statutory duty to maintain up-to-date Rating Lists and they are required by law to review and correct assessments if supported by evidence. Following developments in case law, the VOA have been reviewing their approach to valuing serviced offices for business rates, including seeking legal advice on a range of agreements between owners or operators and individual occupiers. The VOA have concluded that, rather than each room within a serviced office being assessed separately, most serviced offices will need to be assessed as a single property, unless clear evidence demonstrates a need to split.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations on the minimum age for treatment for gender dysphoria in the Cass Review, published in April 2024.

Last year, NHS England held a public consultation regarding an updated referral pathway policy for children and young people to access NHS Children and Young People's Gender Services in line with the recommendations of the Cass Review.The public consultation was supported by a detailed Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment. A detailed report on the outcome of the consultation process, alongside guidance for secondary care health professionals, was published by NHS England on 7 August 2024.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the NHS follows guidance on the minimum age for gender dysphoria.

On 7 August 2024, NHS England published a new service specification that describes the pathway onto the waiting list for NHS Children and Young People's Gender Services in line with the recommendations of the Cass Review. The service specification was agreed following a process of public consultation, respondents to which included medical bodies such as royal colleges of medicine. I would like to assure you that this service specification is followed by all commissioned providers of NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Services.

How many children under the age of seven have been treated for gender dysphoria since 1 April 2024.

No children under the age of seven have been treated for gender dysphoria since 1 April 2024.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Fundraising Regulator on the transparency of fees on online fundraising platforms.

Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. DCMS meets with the Fundraising Regulator regularly to discuss a range of issues.The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The information must be easy to find, and include details on how voluntary tips can be amended or removed altogether in a straightforward way.The government has no current plans to bring forward legislation on fundraising platforms. DCMS will continue working with the Fundraising Regulator, charities, and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.

What steps she is taking to ensure that Gift Aid claimed by online fundraising platforms goes to charities.

Charities have the flexibility to decide on their own strategy for fundraising and are free to partner with other organisations to process their Gift Aid claims. It will ultimately be a commercial decision on the part of a charity to work with a fundraising platform and whether it is appropriate to pay a fee for any services provided.Many of the fundraising platforms are voluntarily registered with the Fundraising Regulator which can act if it believes standards have been breached.

If she will take steps to ban the charging of commission on Gift Aid.

Charities have the flexibility to decide on their own strategy for fundraising and are free to partner with other organisations to process their Gift Aid claims. It will ultimately be a commercial decision on the part of a charity to work with a fundraising platform and whether it is appropriate to pay a fee for any services provided.Many of the fundraising platforms are voluntarily registered with the Fundraising Regulator which can act if it believes standards have been breached.

Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the use of tipping sliders by online fundraising platforms.

Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. DCMS meets with the Fundraising Regulator regularly to discuss a range of issues.The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The information must be easy to find, and include details on how voluntary tips can be amended or removed altogether in a straightforward way.The government has no current plans to bring forward legislation on fundraising platforms. DCMS will continue working with the Fundraising Regulator, charities, and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.

Media and Sport, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that tipping sliders on online fundraising platforms can be dragged to zero.

Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. DCMS meets with the Fundraising Regulator regularly to discuss a range of issues.The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The information must be easy to find, and include details on how voluntary tips can be amended or removed altogether in a straightforward way.The government has no current plans to bring forward legislation on fundraising platforms. DCMS will continue working with the Fundraising Regulator, charities, and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase the transparency of fees on online fundraising platforms.

Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. DCMS meets with the Fundraising Regulator regularly to discuss a range of issues.The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The information must be easy to find, and include details on how voluntary tips can be amended or removed altogether in a straightforward way.The government has no current plans to bring forward legislation on fundraising platforms. DCMS will continue working with the Fundraising Regulator, charities, and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.

Whether Integrated Care Boards will receive extra funding to meet costs adjusted for population.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) receive funding allocations from NHS England to pay for the services they commission, and NHS England is responsible for decisions on the weighted capitation formula used to allocate resources between ICBs. This process is independent of the Government. NHS England takes advice from the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, a group of academics and other experts.Most funding is allocated as non-ring-fenced budgets, informed by a calculation of what would constitute a ‘fair share’ of funding, taking account of population, age, need, deprivation, and health inequalities considerations. ICB allocations for 2025/26 were published on 30 January 2025. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/allocations/Core allocations are growing by 4.4%, which is higher than population growth, so ICBs are receiving extra funding, adjusted for the population compared to the year before.

When he plans to make an announcement on future running costs for integrated care boards.

NHS England has asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health and care services, and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within their structure to achieve a 50% cost reduction in their running cost allowance. NHS England provided additional guidance to ICBs, National Health Service trusts, and NHS foundation trusts on 1 April 2025, where ICBs were tasked with developing plans by the end of May setting out how they will manage their resources to deliver across their priorities.In his letter to ICBs, Sir Jim Mackay committed to greater transparency and moving back to a fair shares allocation policy over time. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/No plans for an announcement by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care have been made.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the 50 per cent cut to Integrated Care Boards on Solihull Hospital.

NHS England has asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health and care services, and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within their structure to achieve a 50% cost reduction in their running cost allowance. NHS England provided additional guidance to ICBs, National Health Service trusts, and NHS foundation trusts on 1 April 2025, where ICBs were tasked with developing plans by the end of May setting out how they will manage their resources to deliver across their priorities.NHS England will work closely with the ICBs to ensure these changes do not compromise the quality of care or the statutory responsibilities of the ICBs, and to protect frontline staff from cuts. NHS England will be working closely with the ICBs to support the development of these plans, ensuring that their implementation reduces duplication and supports patient care. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/In his letter to the ICBs, Sir Jim Mackay committed to greater transparency and to moving back to a fair shares allocation policy over time. Currently, the Birmingham and Solihull ICB is 3.4% off its fair shares allocation targets, which includes specialised commissioning.

Innovation and Technology, what progress he has made on establishing the Digital Inclusion Action Committee.

The Digital Inclusion Action Committee is an external advisory body that will work closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. It will be made up of national and local experts to tackle digital exclusion. Its role is to scrutinise, steer and help determine the work of the government in reducing digital exclusion in every part of the UK.The Expression of Interest closed on 2nd April, and selection is underway, led by Baroness Armstrong. Attendees are expected to be announced in Spring 2025. The first meeting will take place shortly thereafter.

Innovation and Technology, what progress he has made on the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, announced in February 2025.

Digital inclusion is a priority for Government. The Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund is designed to support initiatives that increase digital participation and to identify innovative best practice with an ambition to scale and replicate successful digital inclusion activities.Further details of funding will be shared in due course.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to tackle digital exclusion.

The Government published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan in February, which sets out the first steps we are taking towards our ambition of delivering digital inclusion for everyone across the UK, regardless of their circumstances. The Government also published a call for evidence on the focus areas and invited contributions from individual citizens, charities, business, civil society, and subject matter experts. The call for evidence closed on 9 April and details on how the Government expects to respond will be shared in due course.

Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to publish the evidence from the Digital Inclusion Strategy Call for Evidence.

The Government published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan in February, which sets out the first steps we are taking towards our ambition of delivering digital inclusion for everyone across the UK, regardless of their circumstances. The Government also published a call for evidence on the focus areas and invited contributions from individual citizens, charities, business, civil society, and subject matter experts. The call for evidence closed on 9 April and details on how the Government expects to respond will be shared in due course.

Innovation and Technology, what progress his Department has made with the Digital Poverty Alliance on providing re-purposed Government laptops to people who need them.

The Government is implementing a device donation pilot by working with the Digital Poverty Alliance to refurbish end-of-life laptops from DSIT, DESNZ and DBT and distribute them to those who need them most. This pilot will be in effect until Autumn 2025.We are also working closely with industry on a device donation charter, to encourage more organisations to set up their own device donation schemes. We are hoping to publish this in Spring 2025.

Innovation and Technology, how much money the Government has committed for the Digital Inclusion Fund; and how it will be allocated.

Digital inclusion is a priority for Government. The Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund is designed to support initiatives that increase digital participation and to identify innovative best practice with an ambition to scale and replicate successful digital inclusion activities.Further details of funding will be shared in due course.

If he will take steps to repurpose spending on (a) hospital care and (b) emergency admissions for people at the end of life into community care services.

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and community palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.Funding provision for hospital care and community care services is subject to the forthcoming Spending Review, the outcome of which will be announced on 11 June.