Written questions by Gethins.

What discussions he has had with MyCSP on the timeline for delivery of Immediate Choice Remediable Service Statements for people with civil service pensions.

MyCSP, the current administrators of the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS), continue work on the implementation of circa 132,100 impacted members who are drawing their pension and need to be provided with revised options for the Remedy period (2015 to 2022). This is known as Immediate Choice (IC). In agreement with the Cabinet Office Pension team, acting as Scheme Managers, MyCSP provided 58,400 IC members with their remedial service statements by March 2025. Of this group, 43,400 members have returned their option forms and all but 500 of these will be implemented by the end of November. From 1 December 2025, Capita takes over as scheme administrator and as part of this, they will pick up the remaining IC work as a focused programme of work ‘project 7’.This will see the remaining 56% of IC members provided with choices as soon as possible. This project is currently being scoped to establish what work remains and how quickly the work can be completed whilst balancing accuracy and business as usual requirements. Detailed delivery plans will be provided to the Cabinet Office by the end of March 2026.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Student Awards Agency Scotland (a) loans and (b) grants on levels of entitlement to Universal Credit.

Most people in full-time education are excluded from Universal Credit because financial support for students comes from the system of student loans and grants designed for their needs. The level of that support is a matter for the Department of Education and the Devolved Governments. If an eligible student makes a claim to Universal Credit any loan or grant which provides for the student's basic maintenance is taken into account as income. Student income which covers additional costs, such as tuition fees and books, is disregarded.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) civilian conflict resolution and (b) peacebuilding funding.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 20 October to question 80942.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of support provided for families of serving personnel separating from their spouses.

Defence recognises the unique challenges faced by families of Serving personnel during separations. Families of Serving personnel are provided with access to a wide range of support, which includes housing assistance and guidance, emotional support, financial and legal signposting to charities and organisations. The support provided is designed to assist families through the emotional and logistical difficulties of relationship breakdowns. Joint Service Publication (JSP) 770 ‘Armed Forces Welfare Support Policy’ contains a chapter focussing on matters of separation and divorce and which provides a link to an online guide ‘Separation and divorce guide for military personnel spouses and partners’ which contains a wealth of support and guidance. JSP 770 also includes an annex ‘The Welfare HARDFACTS Handrail’ which is used by the chain of command and Service welfare teams to guide how they support affected personnel. The ‘Separation and divorce guide for military personnel spouses and partners’ can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/separation-and-divorce-guide-for-military-personnel-spouses-and-partners/separation-and-divorce-guide-for-military-personnel-spouses-and-partners

What steps he is taking to provide stable family homes for children of serving military personnel whose parents have separated.

Defence recognises the needs of separating families and provides specific policy on accommodation to meet the needs of entitled Service personnel and their spouse in these circumstances. The Ministry of Defence remains committed to widening entitlement to family accommodation to support personnel with non-resident children. The Modernised Accommodation Offer remains under review and we expect to be able to communicate future policy changes in the near future.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to foster dialogue between India and Pakistan on peace in Kashmir.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to question 82344.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of re-joining the EU Customs Union on economic growth.

We are not planning to make an assessment as there will be no return to the Customs Union or the Single Market. We have reset our relations with European partners in order to improve our diplomatic, economic, and security cooperation following Brexit. This Government is making the best choices for businesses, workers and citizens across the country from our position outside the European Union, through significant deals with the US and India, and now a new partnership with the EU - each decision taken to support UK growth.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of leaving the European Union on economic growth.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is the government’s official forecaster. The OBR have included assessments of the economic impacts of leaving the EU in its forecasts since 2016. In March 2020, the OBR estimated that GDP will be 4 per cent lower in the long run than it would have been had the UK not withdrawn from the EU, an impact which the Chancellor has said is severe and long-lasting, and that imports and exports will eventually both be 15 per cent lower than had we stayed in the EU. As of the Spring Budget 2025, these assumptions are unchanged from its previous assessment.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increases in requirements for (a) visa approvals and (b) course enrolments on the higher education sector.

An assessment of the potential impact of the increase in the requirements of each Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) metric can be found at Restoring control over the immigration system: technical annex (accessible) - GOV.UK. This provides an estimate of the number of Higher Education Institutions that could be affected, and offers an initial, illustrative analysis of its impact on migration inflows.

When she plans to publish an updated International Education Strategy.

The department is conducting a review of the UK government’s International Education Strategy alongside the Department for Business and Trade, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, to ensure that it continues to be an effective tool in increasing the value of education exports and reflects the priorities of education stakeholders, businesses and our global partners. As part of the review process, officials have engaged with devolved government officials and stakeholders to seek feedback on the strategic direction and other aspects of the strategy. We will announce next steps on this shortly.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing vehicle tax exemption applications to be made online.

Customers who receive the enhanced rate mobility component of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and whose vehicles are already licensed in the disabled taxation class can renew their vehicle excise duty (VED) exemption online. Those customers who receive the standard rate mobility component of PIP, which entitles them to a 50% reduction in the rate of VED payable, or those who receive the enhanced rate mobility component but are applying to license their vehicle in the disabled tax class for the first time must do so at the Post Office or by sending their application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). Facilitating these applications to be made online requires the electronic exchange of data held by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) with the DVLA. Officials are considering how to improve the ability for customers in receipt of PIP to transact with the DVLA.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of protections for journalists in Gaza.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 3 October 2025 to question 76551.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support dialogue between India and Pakistan.

India and Pakistan are both long-standing, important friends of the UK. We continue to encourage both to engage in dialogue and to find lasting political solutions to support regional stability. The UK has engaged extensively with both countries, as have other key states, in order to encourage India and Pakistan to return to diplomacy. I remain concerned by the potential for future escalation, which neither the region nor the wider world could afford.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of protests in Nepal.

The UK and Nepal share a deep historic relationship. We are appalled at the recent violence and we continue to support fundamental freedoms and respect for human rights in Nepal, including the right to protest and peaceful assembly. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) have made public statements condemning the violence and calling for accountability and peaceful dialogue. We are closely monitoring events, alongside our international partners, and we will assess the impact fully when the situation has stabilised. The FCDO continues to support impacted British nationals.

Whether her Department plans to evacuate the dependents of students with UK scholarships as well as those students.

The Government is prioritising those with fully-funded, verifiable, scholarships commencing in the autumn term. This decision has been made for these students due to their potential role in rebuilding Gaza in the future.I refer the Honourable Member to the then-Home Secretary’s oral statement to the House of Commons on 1 September 2025 on strengthening border security and reforms to the asylum system. Further details will be set out in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement on the future use of Border Control Posts.

Work is ongoing to confirm what the future requirements for activities at the border will look like under an SPS Agreement, including what will happen to operations at Border Control Posts (BCPs). The Government recognises that there are questions that will need to be looked at as part of implementation and remains committed to working openly and closely with the Devolved Governments, Port Health Authorities, Local Authorities and port operators to ensure the transition to these new arrangements is as clear and seamless as possible, noting that the precise detail and timing of this process – including legislative arrangements – are naturally subject to the course of the detailed negotiations.

What the cost to the public purse of (a) building border inspection facilities, (b) operating border inspection facilities annually since construction and (c) in total was since the UK left the EU.

Customs infrastructure at Inland Border Facilities (IBFs) is essential to protect the UK by ensuring risk-based checks on goods entering and leaving the country can take place. The cost to HMRC of building and setting up both enduring and temporary sites was £89m.The annual cost to HMRC for the operation of IBFs is £32m.The total cost since leaving the EU (up to 31st March 25) was £495m, this included £20m for decommissioning costs at temporary sites.In April 2025, Government announced amendments to existing legislation to require all approved border locations to provide and fund their own customs infrastructure. This includes border locations which currently benefit from Government provision of IBFs.

How much her Department has spent on inland border facilities for customs checks since 2020.

Customs infrastructure at Inland Border Facilities (IBFs) is essential to protect the UK by ensuring risk-based checks on goods entering and leaving the country can take place. HMRC has spent a total of £495m since 2020 on IBFs. This figure represents all costs up to and including 31st March 2025.In addition to HMRC costs, the Sevington IBF was constructed by the Department for Transport. The total costs of this were £154 million. This includes £70 million on the Border Control Post (BCP), which allows biosecurity checks to take place on sanitary and phytosanitary goods (SPS).In April 2025, Government announced amendments to existing legislation to require all approved border locations to provide and fund their own customs infrastructure. This includes border locations which currently benefit from Government provision of IBFs.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many inspections Border Control Posts have conducted since 2022; and at what cost to the public purse.

Checks at Border Control Posts (BCPs) are intelligence-led and based on biosecurity risk. To protect the integrity of this approach, we cannot share data on volumes of inspections. Regarding the cost to the public purse, the only UK Government run BCP is at Sevington, where the Common User Charge applies (CUC). The CUC is intended to recover the operating costs of government-run Sevington BCP facility serving the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel. There will be no profit from the charge as it is intended to be a full cost recovery charging scheme only, in line with HMG’s Managing Public Money principles. For information on calculation and operating costs please review the report at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sevington-border-control-post-estimated-operating-costs.

When she plans to respond to correspondence from the hon. Member for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry of 30 May 2025.

I can confirm that a response to the hon. Member for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry’s letter of 30 May was issued on 26 June 2025.