Written questions by Gibson.

What recent estimate she has made of the number of people with multiple sclerosis who are expected to lose eligibility for Personal Independence Payment under the proposed reforms to the assessment criteria.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 58296 on 16th June 2025.

What proportion of PIP decisions for people with MS have been overturned on appeal in the last five years, by region.

For the proportion of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) New Claim and DLA reassessment decisions, for claimants with MS as main medical condition, overturned at appeal stage by region for the last five Financial Years, see Table 1 below.Table 1: the percentage of PIP New Claim and DLA reassessment decisions, for claimants with MS as main medical condition, overturned at appeal stage by region for the last five Financial YearsRegion of Initial New Claim or DLA reassessment decisionFinancial Year of Initial Decision2019-202020-212021-222022-232023-24East Midlands9%6%10%6%6%East of England6%6%8%9%5%London9%7%10%8%5%North East5%3%8%6%6%North West7%8%8%11%6%South East7%7%8%9%4%South West7%7%11%8%4%West Midlands7%3%5%10%6%Yorkshire and The Humber8%7%6%7%6%Total England7%6%8%8%5%Wales8%3%12%7%7% For the proportion of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Award Review and Change of Circumstances decisions, for claimants with MS as main medical condition, overturned at appeal stage by region for the last five Financial Years, see Table 2 below.Table 2: the percentage of PIP Award Review and Change of Circumstances decisions, for claimants with MS as main medical condition, overturned at appeal stage by region for the last five Financial YearsRegion of Initial Award Review and Change of Circumstances decisionFinancial Year of Initial Decision2019-202020-212021-222022-232023-24East Midlands4%2%2%3%5%East of England3%2%2%2%2%London6%2%3%3%5%North East3%1%1%1%3%North West3%2%2%3%3%South East5%3%2%2%4%South West4%3%3%3%4%West Midlands5%3%1%4%6%Yorkshire and The Humber3%2%2%3%4%Total England4%2%2%3%4%Wales4%2%2%5%4% Source(s): PIP Administrative Data Notes:Figures for England and Wales only.Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number.These figures include appeal clearances and decisions for PIP New Claims, Reassessments, Award Reviews and Change of Circumstances. These figures include appeals cleared from April 2019 to December 2024, in line with latest PIP statistics Personal Independence Payment: Clearance/Outstanding Times and Customer Journey Statistics to January 2025, England & Wales (XLS).Appeals data has been taken from DWP PIP customer system’s management information. Therefore, this appeal data may differ from that held by His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service for various reasons such as delays in data recording and other methodological differences in collating and preparing statistics.This data is unpublished data. It should be used with caution, and it may be subject to future revision.Figures include appeals overturns following tribunal hearing and lapsed appeals.A lapsed appeal is where DWP changed the decision in the customer’s favour after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at a tribunal hearing.An overturned appeal is where the decision was changed in the customer’s favour after an appeal was lodged and was heard at tribunal hearing.Appeals can have their decision upheld or may also be withdrawn by the claimant. These are not included in the above tables.

Whether the higher education admissions system takes into account the frequent relocations of military service children.

Universities are autonomous bodies, independent from government and are responsible for their own admissions decisions.Universities and colleges decide who to offer a place to by considering a range of factors detailed within an applicant's UCAS application. In addition to their predicted grades, this can include their personal statement, teacher references, contextual factors and, for certain courses that have an October application deadline, their performance in admissions tests. This is a process that differs between providers and even between different courses at the same providers.Admissions teams are accustomed to considering a wide range of personal circumstances when making decisions.Higher education (HE) providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) intending to charge higher level tuition fees must have an Access and Participation Plan approved by the OfS. Providers are expected to take into account the OfS Equality of Opportunity Risk Register in developing a plan. The Register identifies service children as a group in particular need of support.The government takes a close interest in ensuring that the system is fair. We work closely with HE providers and sector bodies to make sure the system works well for students.

What the average waiting time is from initial referral to diagnosis for multiple sclerosis in each NHS region.

We do not hold data in the format requested. The latest data for referral to treatment waiting times in England, from April 2025, shows there were 223,699 pathways waiting for a neurology appointment, of which 53.8% were waiting for 18 weeks or less.

Whether he plans to publish the findings of the 2025 Dentistry Cost Survey.

A dental cost survey was launched on 13 May 2025 to conduct further research on the costs of running dental practices in England. The aim of the survey is to provide an accurate understanding of the costs and pressures facing the dental sector.The findings of the 2025 Dentistry Cost Survey will be published following the conclusion of the project.

Whether her Department holds data on the tax gap disaggregated by (a) local authority and (b) parliamentary constituency.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimates the size of the tax gap, which is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid. The tax gap statistics and details of the estimate methodologies are published annually and are available at: Measuring tax gaps 2024 edition: tax gap estimates for 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK. HMRC does not estimate the tax gap by local authority or by parliamentary constituency.

How many pensioners in Wiltshire were eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment in winter 2024-25 but did not receive it.

The next release of Winter Fuel Payment statistics will cover 2024/25 and will be published on 16 September 2025. The latest data on Winter Fuel Payment caseload is available here: Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK.

What assessment she has made of the potential cost to the public purse of not insuring Government debt repayments against inflation.

The government’s financing strategy is designed to align with the Debt Management Objective, which is to minimise over the long term, the cost of meeting the Government’s financing needs, taking account of risk, while ensuring that debt management policy is consistent with the aims of monetary policy. To meet its financing requirement for each financial year, the government issues an appropriate balance of conventional and index-linked gilts over a range of maturities. Issuing index-linked gilts has historically brought cost advantages for the government due to strong investor demand and has historically helped to underscore the credibility of the government’s commitment to low and stable inflation. As set out in HM Treasury’s Debt Management Report 2025-26, analysis by the Debt Management Office shows that, for gilts that matured since their introduction in 1981 but prior to January 2025, the government generated direct savings of around £90.8 billion in total from the issuance of index-linked gilts if valued at maturity, or £184.7 billion in 2025 terms.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of trends in the level of compliance among individuals offering pet services via online platforms with the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.

The (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 regulate commercial activity in relation to selling animals as pets; providing for, or arranging for, the provision of boarding for cats or dogs; hiring out horses; dog breeding and keeping or training animals for exhibition. Anyone conducting these activities as a business needs a valid licence. Licensees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences. Local authorities provide a statutory annual data return including information on the number of licences issued, varied and revoked by local authorities for each activity. Returns are published here.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that every child has access to a library in areas of high disadvantage.

All children should have the opportunity to access books and other resources to support their learning and enjoyment.Public libraries are delivered by local government in accordance with the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. Local authorities must have regard to encouraging both adults and children to make full use of the library service and keeping adequate stocks sufficient in number, range and quality to meet the needs of their communities.Public libraries are free to join and there are over 2,500 static statutory libraries in England, found in every type of community, including 30 in Wiltshire. The government is committed to getting local government back on its feet. The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase on 2024-25.School libraries complement public libraries by giving pupils access to a range of books and other kinds of texts, both in and out of school. Individual schools will decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils and headteachers have autonomy to decide how best to spend the core schools funding that is allocated to them by government. School funding is increasing by £3.7 billion in 2025-26, meaning that core school funding will total £65.3 billion compared to £61.6 billion in 2024-25. Following the Spending Review announcement, core schools funding, including SEND investment, will increase from £65.3bn in 2025-26 to £69.5bn by 2028-29.

How many pensioners in Wiltshire will receive the Winter Fuel Payment under the new income threshold.

Winter Fuel Payments are £200 for a household with someone of State Pension age and £300 for a household with someone aged 80 or over. They will be paid automatically to anyone who has not opted out. Individuals with a taxable income above £35,000 a year Winter Fuel Payments will be recouped via HMRC. This means that the majority of pensioners in England and Wales – over three quarters, or around 9 million individuals – will now benefit from Winter Fuel Payments, making it better targeted than the previous near-universal payment.

Whether he plans to give dental (a) hygienists and (b) therapists NHS performer numbers in workforce (i) retention and (ii) access strategies.

To work under a National Health Service primary care dental services contract, a dentist must join the NHS Dental Performers List. This is not a requirement for other members of the dental team, and the Government has no plans to change this.Amendments to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 took effect on 26 June 2024, to allow dental hygienists and dental therapists to supply or administer specific medicines under exemptions, supporting them to work to their full scope of practice.NHS England has issued guidance which includes information about training for those wishing to work under the exemptions. All education should be supported by a certificate as well as reflection for personal development. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/supply-and-administration-of-medicines-by-dental-hygienists-and-dental-therapists/#which-medicines-are-approved-for-supply-and-administrationThis guidance also clarified that whilst dental therapists and dental hygienists do not have performer numbers, they can open and close NHS courses of treatment and provide further direct access to NHS care, where that care is within the General Dental Council’s Scope of Practice, if they are qualified, competent, and indemnified to do so.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the tax gap.

At the Budget last autumn, the Government introduced the most ambitious package ever to close the tax gap, ensuring more individuals and businesses pay the taxes they owe and raising £6.5 bn in additional tax revenue per year by 2029-2030. At the Spring Statement, the Government built on this and announced a package of measures to further close the tax gap and raise over £1 billion more. The announcements since the start of this Government will see 5,500 more compliance officers, alongside 2400 staff in HMRC’s debt management teams to ensure those who can afford to pay their tax debts do so. The Government is also delivering on its commitments to prosecute more tax fraudsters, to introduce a new HMRC reward scheme for informants, to tackle ‘phoenixism’, and to overhaul HMRC’s approach to offshore tax non-compliance. The Government has also set out its plans to go further in the future to make it easier for taxpayers to pay the right tax through a modern and digital tax system.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take legislative steps to require platform providers to collect proof of (a) qualifications, (b) insurance and (c) local authority licenses from people offering pet (i) boarding or (ii) walking services on their platform.

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 require anyone in the business of boarding cats and dogs to have a valid licence from their local authority. Licensees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities. There are no plans to make it mandatory for platforms to collect proof in relation to pet boarding or walking services.

What recent assessment he has made of levels of (a) recruitment and (b) retention of radiologists within the NHS.

No recent assessment has been made. We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places, including for radiology, meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where the need is greatest.To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of the Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision. We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

What the update was of the Warm Home Discount Scheme in 2024 in each region.

The most recent uptake data for the Warm Home Discount is available in the publication: Warm Home Discount statistics, 2023 to 2024- gov.uk. The scheme for winter 2024/25 closed on 31 March 2025 and is expected to have supported over 3 million households. The Department will publish the official statistics for winter 2024/25 on 26 June 2025.

Whether the implementation plan for the upcoming 10-year health plan will include steps to reform NHS dental contracts.

The 10-Year Health Plan will set out the next steps the Government will take to rebuild dentistry in the long term.We will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of National Health Service dentists. There are no perfect payment systems, and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system so that we deliver a system better for patients and the profession.We are continuing to meet the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for NHS dental patients.

What steps her Department plans to take to help ensure prompt payment of the Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners in Wiltshire.

The vast majority of pensioners in England and Wales – around 9 million individuals - will now benefit from Winter Fuel Payments. No pensioner will need to take any action now as they will automatically receive the payment this winter, and for those with incomes above the threshold it will be automatically recovered via HMRC. Pensioners who want to opt out and not receive the payment at all, will be able to do so. Announcing the increase in eligibility before the Summer recess and by paying all pensioners—except those who opt out—we are able to rely on established processes that can ensure prompt payments of Winter Fuel Payments for the coming winter.

Food and Rural Affairs, what funding his Department provides to support pig farmers in transitioning away from farrowing crates to free-farrowing systems.

The use of farrowing crates and other close confinement systems for farmed animals is an issue which the department is currently considering very carefully. At present there is no Government funding available to support pig farmers in transitioning away from farrowing crates to free-farrowing systems.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate his Department has made of the proportion of sows in the UK kept in farrowing crates in each of the last five years.

Defra does not hold official data, however, for the last five years estimates have consistently maintained that 60% of the UK breeding herd were kept indoors with the vast majority of sows using farrowing crates to give birth. The remaining 40% farrow freely on outdoor units with no option for confinement. Recent industry estimates suggest that the number of sows kept indoors has declined to 50%. Of these, around 8% of the British indoor pig herd were reported to be flexibly farrowed where the sow can be confined on a temporary basis and for a limited period.