Written questions by Bhatti.

What steps she is planning to take in the 10-year NHS Plan to improve (a) palliative and (b) end of life care.

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 families receive the care they need when and where they need it, including those who need palliative and end of life care.As part of the work to develop a 10-Year Health Plan, we have been carefully considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners, including the hospice sector.

Whether he has had recent discussions with palliative care providers on the adequacy of funding for (a) palliative and (b) other end-of-life care services.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.In February, I met with key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at end of life and their loved ones. In recognition of this, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England, to ensure they have the best physical environment for care, and £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices.We, alongside key partners NHS England, will continue to proactively engage with our stakeholders, including the voluntary sector and independent hospices, on an ongoing basis, in order to understand the issues they face.

What estimate his Department has made of the increase in the number of people that will need palliative care over the next 10 years.

Currently, approximately 600,000 people die per year in the United Kingdom. It is estimated that up to 90% of deaths could benefit from palliative and end of life care.The Office for National Statistics has projected that, by 2040, approximately 800,000 people a year will die in the UK. Also, current trends point to a growing proportion of people dying from chronic diseases, particularly cancer and dementia. Taking these considerations together, it has been estimated that the number of people needing palliative and end of life care could increase by 42% by 2040.We have committed to developing a 10-Year Plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future, by driving three shifts in the way health care is delivered, from hospital to community, from treatment to prevention, and from analogue to digital. We will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders as we develop the plan.

Whether he has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on using the transformation fund announced in the Spring Statement 2025 on support for the palliative and end of life care sector.

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 palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.In February 2025, I met with key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format, with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.

Whether he plans to include measures on reforming funding allocations for (a) palliative and (b) other end of life care services in the comprehensive spending review.

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 palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.In February 2025, I met with key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format, with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.

For what reason the Child Maintenance Service deems receipt of Child Benefit to be sufficient evidence that a child is still in full-time education.

To qualify for maintenance payments, a child must meet the Child Maintenance Service's criteria. They must be under 20 years of age and in full time, non-advanced education, or approved training, and eligible for Child Benefit. They must also be habitually resident in the UK and usually living in the same household as the receiving parent. Child maintenance defines a child the same way as Child Benefit does, to offer consistency across rules.Child maintenance payments usually stop when the child reaches 16, or 20 if they are in full-time education up to A-level or equivalent. Child maintenance will also stop when the child stops being eligible for Child Benefit. Child Benefit may stay in payment for a period after a child under 20 ceases education or training until a terminal date is reached. Child Benefit will remain payable from the date education or training ceased, up to and including the week that includes the first terminal date, as will child maintenance payments.Child Maintenance Service make automated monthly requests to His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) asking for all children aged 16 to 19 who are included in its caseload, to establish whether Child Benefit is still in payment.

For what reason child maintenance arrears are not offset against the amount owed by a paying parent after they have moved from being a receiving parent.

The Child Maintenance Service is dedicated to ensuring parents meet their obligations to children and will do everything to encourage cooperation between separated parents and encourage parents to meet their responsibilities to provide their children with financial support. Child Maintenance Regulations provide that “offsetting” is a process that allows the Child Maintenance Service to adjust child maintenance payments and arrears in specific scenarios between the Paying Parent and the Receiving Parent. Child Maintenance role reversal offsetting occurs when a qualifying child changes the parent they live with. This means that the Receiving Parent and the Paying Parent reverse their roles in relation to the qualifying child, so that the Receiving Parent becomes the Paying Parent and vice versa. The potential for a debt against debt offset arises where the former Paying Parent (now the Receiving Parent) owed arrears to the former Receiving Parent (now the Paying Parent) at the point their roles were reversed, and the new Paying Parent fails to pay their current liability, so that they now owe arrears to the new Receiving Parent. When deciding whether it is appropriate to offset ongoing payments against arrears, caseworkers must consider the length of time that the parent who owes the arrears will be without their ongoing maintenance payments because the payments they are due to receive will be stopped or reduced in comparison with the arrears that they owe. It is essential that caseworkers carefully consider the effect that this may have on the welfare of all children potentially affected.

What assessment the Child Maintenance Service has made of the potential merits of working with authorities with investigatory powers to help paying parents to find supporting information.

If a paying parent believes that the Child Maintenance (CM) liability should cease because a qualifying child (QC) no longer meets the statutory definition of a qualifying young person but checks with His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) disagree, the CM caseworker can ask the receiving parent to provide;1. verbal confirmation of the QCs status if they agree that the paying parent’s statement is correct, or2. where they disagree with the paying parent, a letter from the school or college confirming the QCs status, or3. written confirmation from an employer that the QC has started work.Where the paying parent believes that Child Benefit is claimed fraudulently, the paying parent will be signposted to report the fraud to HMRC at Gov.UK.The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) makes automated monthly requests to HMRC asking for all children aged 16 to 19 who are included in its caseload, to establish whether Child Benefit is still in payment.The CMS has a Financial Investigations Unit (FIU), that can investigate complex cases. This is a specialist team which can request information to check the accuracy of information the CMS is given by either parent.

What assessment the Child Maintenance Service has made of the potential impact of GDPR legislation on the ability of paying parents to find proof that their child is still in full-time education.

If a paying parent believes that the Child Maintenance (CM) liability should cease because a qualifying child (QC) no longer meets the statutory definition of a qualifying young person but checks with His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) disagree, the CM caseworker can ask the receiving parent to provide;1. verbal confirmation of the QCs status if they agree that the paying parent’s statement is correct, or2. where they disagree with the paying parent, a letter from the school or college confirming the QCs status, or3. written confirmation from an employer that the QC has started work.Where the paying parent believes that Child Benefit is claimed fraudulently, the paying parent will be signposted to report the fraud to HMRC at Gov.UK.The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) makes automated monthly requests to HMRC asking for all children aged 16 to 19 who are included in its caseload, to establish whether Child Benefit is still in payment.The CMS has a Financial Investigations Unit (FIU), that can investigate complex cases. This is a specialist team which can request information to check the accuracy of information the CMS is given by either parent.

Media and Sport, which stakeholders (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department had discussions with on the consultation on copyright and artificial intelligence between 1 September 2024 and 4 April 2025.

Between 1 September 2024 and 4 April 2025 DCMS Ministers have met with numerous stakeholders from across the creative industries, including trade bodies and industry leaders, to discuss the government’s consultation on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence. These meetings have included roundtable discussions, as well as individual meetings with stakeholders.Details of all meetings undertaken by DCMS ministers are included in DCMS transparency data, published on Gov.uk each quarter.

If he will commission research on the outcomes following gender affirming surgery on young adults under the age of 25.

In line with the findings of the recent Cass Review, the Government is committed to supporting the development of research that delivers a robust, evidence-based understanding of gender dysphoria and transgender issues, especially where these issues relate to children and young people. The programme of research includes investments in research capacity, to enable National Health Service clinicians to dedicate time to research and ongoing service evaluation, and a living systematic review that will provide a regularly updated review of the latest international evidence to inform policy and frontline and clinical practice. These may produce new evidence on the outcomes following gender-affirming surgery on young adults, and contribute to ensuring that children and young people who are questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender dysphoria are well-safeguarded.The Department, through the National Institute for Health Research, welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including the outcomes following gender-affirming surgery on young adults. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

What steps he is taking to ensure that children are not prescribed cross-sex hormones by private medical providers.

Children’s safety must always come first. That is why the Government and the National Health Service in England are implementing the recommendations of the Cass Review, in full.In her review, Dr Cass recommended “extreme caution” when prescribing cross-sex hormones for individuals aged 16 to 18 years old. We expect all providers to act in line with this recommendation.NHS England has begun the process of forming a new clinical commissioning policy for hormone medications. In NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Services, as an interim measure, a national multi-disciplinary team with an independent chair will review all referrals of young people for cross-sex hormones before they can be initiated.Furthermore, in response to the Commission on Human Medicines’ report on the safety implications of restricting the availability of puberty blockers for under 18 year olds, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to produce a quality standard for specialist gender services. Quality standards provide an evidence-based description of high-quality care, in a defined clinical area, and can be used by private providers.The Secretary of State introduced an indefinite order on the sale and supply of puberty blockers for under 18 year olds. This order continues to prohibit the sale or supply of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues prescribed by private UK-registered prescribers, for gender dysphoria and/or incongruence, to under-18 year olds not already taking them, and on the sale and supply of the drugs against prescriptions from prescribers registered in the European Economic Area or Switzerland, for any purposes, to anyone under 18 years old. This came into effect on 1 January 2025 as the previous emergency order expired and will be formally reviewed in 2027. We will not hesitate to take further action should safety concerns arise.

Whether she has made a recent assessment of the international competitiveness of air passenger duty.

Air Passenger Duty (APD) applies to airlines and is the principal tax on the aviation sector. It is expected to raise £4.2 billion in 2024-25. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced Air Passenger Duty (APD) rates for 2026-27, including a partial adjustment to help compensate for two recent years of inflation that was higher than expected. APD rates are set in advance using forecasts of inflation, and so with actual inflation being significantly greater than forecast in 2022 and 2023, APD rates fell in real terms. The Government is clear that APD is an appropriate tax that ensures airlines make a fair contribution to the public finances, particularly given that tickets are VAT free and aviation fuel incurs no duty. Other countries also have different forms of aviation taxes. The Government keeps all taxes under review.

What estimate she has made of total revenue generated by Air Passenger Duty from children aged under 16 years old who travelled in Premium Economy in each of the last three years?.

Air Passenger Duty (APD) applies to airlines, not individual passengers, and is the principal tax on the aviation sector. It is expected to raise £4.2 billion in 2024-25 and it aims to ensure that airlines make a fair contribution to the public finances, particularly given that tickets are VAT free and aviation fuel incurs no duty. The distance-based band structure ensures that those who travel furthest, and in the greatest comfort, incur a greater tax liability. Children under 16 years old on the date of the flight, and in the lowest class of travel, are exempt from APD. This means that no APD will be paid on that passenger by the airline to the UK government. If children under 16 years old are travelling in any other class (such as premium economy) or in business jets, they are not exempt. Children under 2 years old without a seat are exempt from Air Passenger Duty for all classes of travel. Airline operators declare the number of chargeable passengers by destination band and by rate. They do not break down chargeable passengers by age, and therefore this is not information that HMRC collects. The government has published annual statistics and analysis on airline passenger numbers and Air Passenger Duty (APD) receipts in the UK which are administered by HM Revenue and Customs. It is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/air-passenger-duty-bulletin. As with all taxes, APD is kept under review and any changes are announced by the Chancellor at fiscal events.

If she will make a comparative assessment of the Standard Rate of Air Passenger Duty between the UK and (a) Germany, (b) France, (c) Italy and (d) Spain.

Air Passenger Duty (APD) applies to airlines and is the principal tax on the aviation sector. It is expected to raise £4.2 billion in 2024-25. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced Air Passenger Duty (APD) rates for 2026-27, including a partial adjustment to help compensate for two recent years of inflation that was higher than expected. APD rates are set in advance using forecasts of inflation, and so with actual inflation being significantly greater than forecast in 2022 and 2023, APD rates fell in real terms. The Government is clear that APD is an appropriate tax that ensures airlines make a fair contribution to the public finances, particularly given that tickets are VAT free and aviation fuel incurs no duty. Other countries also have different forms of aviation taxes. The Government keeps all taxes under review.

Whether she plans to reform Air Passenger Duty to extend the exemption for children under 16 years old to travel in Premium Economy or any other cabin classes.

Air Passenger Duty (APD) applies to airlines, not individual passengers, and is the principal tax on the aviation sector. It is expected to raise £4.2 billion in 2024-25 and it aims to ensure that airlines make a fair contribution to the public finances, particularly given that tickets are VAT free and aviation fuel incurs no duty. The distance-based band structure ensures that those who travel furthest, and in the greatest comfort, incur a greater tax liability. Children under 16 years old on the date of the flight, and in the lowest class of travel, are exempt from APD. This means that no APD will be paid on that passenger by the airline to the UK government. If children under 16 years old are travelling in any other class (such as premium economy) or in business jets, they are not exempt. Children under 2 years old without a seat are exempt from Air Passenger Duty for all classes of travel. Airline operators declare the number of chargeable passengers by destination band and by rate. They do not break down chargeable passengers by age, and therefore this is not information that HMRC collects. The government has published annual statistics and analysis on airline passenger numbers and Air Passenger Duty (APD) receipts in the UK which are administered by HM Revenue and Customs. It is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/air-passenger-duty-bulletin. As with all taxes, APD is kept under review and any changes are announced by the Chancellor at fiscal events.

What estimate she has made of the cost to the exchequer of extending the Air Passenger Duty exemption for children under 16 years old to (a) Premium Economy and (b) any other cabin class travel.

Air Passenger Duty (APD) applies to airlines, not individual passengers, and is the principal tax on the aviation sector. It is expected to raise £4.2 billion in 2024-25 and it aims to ensure that airlines make a fair contribution to the public finances, particularly given that tickets are VAT free and aviation fuel incurs no duty. The distance-based band structure ensures that those who travel furthest, and in the greatest comfort, incur a greater tax liability. Children under 16 years old on the date of the flight, and in the lowest class of travel, are exempt from APD. This means that no APD will be paid on that passenger by the airline to the UK government. If children under 16 years old are travelling in any other class (such as premium economy) or in business jets, they are not exempt. Children under 2 years old without a seat are exempt from Air Passenger Duty for all classes of travel. Airline operators declare the number of chargeable passengers by destination band and by rate. They do not break down chargeable passengers by age, and therefore this is not information that HMRC collects. The government has published annual statistics and analysis on airline passenger numbers and Air Passenger Duty (APD) receipts in the UK which are administered by HM Revenue and Customs. It is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/air-passenger-duty-bulletin. As with all taxes, APD is kept under review and any changes are announced by the Chancellor at fiscal events.

Whether she plans to reform Air Passenger Duty to prevent passengers travelling in a Premium Economy cabin from paying the same rate as passengers travelling in a First Class and Business Class cabin.

Air Passenger Duty (APD) applies to airlines, not individual passengers, and is the principal tax on the aviation sector. It is expected to raise £4.2 billion in 2024-25 and it aims to ensure that airlines make a fair contribution to the public finances, particularly given that tickets are VAT free and aviation fuel incurs no duty. The distance-based band structure ensures that those who travel furthest, and in the greatest comfort, incur a greater tax liability. There are three rates of duty for each destination band depending on the class of travel. The reduced rate applies to all travel in the lowest class of travel available on the plane for seat pitches less than 1.016 metres. The standard rate applies to travel in any non-economy class of travel or where the seat pitch is more than 1.016 metres (40 inches). This includes premium economy, as well as first class and business class. When making changes to taxes the Government has to consider a wide range of factors, including administrative burdens and complexity. The Government keeps all taxes under review.

What steps he is taking to support car manufacturers in the UK in the context of US tariffs.

We're disappointed by the decision to impose global tariffs of 25% on auto imports and know this will be extremely concerning for our automotive sector. We will always support our automotive industry, and in the first instance we will continue to pursue a deal that works for both us and the US. We will also use our Industrial Strategy to strengthen UK automotive competitiveness and have backed the auto sector with £2 billion to support the transition of domestic manufacturing and £300 million announced in the Budget to drive uptake of electric vehicles.This government is clear that we will always do everything necessary to defend the UK's national interest. This is why the government has launched a request for input from businesses to help shape our response to US tariffs.

Whether he is considering retaliatory tariffs in response to US tariffs on UK car imports.

The UK automotive sector is integral to our economy, and we are disappointed by the US decision to impose 25% tariffs on automotive imports and know this will be extremely concerning for the sector. We will always support our automotive industry The government has launched a request for input from businesses to help inform our response to US tariffs We remain committed to discussions with the US on a wider economic deal that works for both the UK and the US. But nothing is off the table; this government will do everything necessary to defend the UK’s national interest.