Written questions by Darling.

Whether his Department plans to (a) review and (b) update the national (i) curriculum and (ii) accreditation frameworks for nail and beauty qualifications.

Nail and beauty salons are already required to comply with various legislation depending on the services they offer. This includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other legislation such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. This legislation requires that operators ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and that their clients are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce further regulation in this space. As part of this work the Government has committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under this scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed.The consultation response sets out that, in the first instance, the Government will prioritise the introduction of legal restrictions to ensure that cosmetic procedures that are deemed to pose the highest level of risk to the public, such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift, are classed as Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activities. This will mean that these procedures will only be performed by suitably qualified regulated healthcare professionals, working for providers who are registered with the CQC.We will subsequently take forward work to determine which procedures will be included within the scheme and what requirements will have to be met in order to be granted a licence. This includes requirements relating to training and qualification standards and infection prevention and control measures. We are working with a range of stakeholders to better understand the risks posed by unsafe practice and to ensure the design of the licensing scheme addresses these safety concerns. To help inform this work, we will consider what relevant systems and standards are already in place, both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) training and (b) accreditation for nail and beauty professionals reflect modern (i) hygiene and (ii) safety standards.

Nail and beauty salons are already required to comply with various legislation depending on the services they offer. This includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other legislation such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. This legislation requires that operators ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and that their clients are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce further regulation in this space. As part of this work the Government has committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under this scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed.The consultation response sets out that, in the first instance, the Government will prioritise the introduction of legal restrictions to ensure that cosmetic procedures that are deemed to pose the highest level of risk to the public, such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift, are classed as Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activities. This will mean that these procedures will only be performed by suitably qualified regulated healthcare professionals, working for providers who are registered with the CQC.We will subsequently take forward work to determine which procedures will be included within the scheme and what requirements will have to be met in order to be granted a licence. This includes requirements relating to training and qualification standards and infection prevention and control measures. We are working with a range of stakeholders to better understand the risks posed by unsafe practice and to ensure the design of the licensing scheme addresses these safety concerns. To help inform this work, we will consider what relevant systems and standards are already in place, both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

Whether his Department has made a comparative assessment of the regulation of nail and beauty salons in (a) the UK and (b) other European countries.

Nail and beauty salons are already required to comply with various legislation depending on the services they offer. This includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other legislation such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. This legislation requires that operators ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and that their clients are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce further regulation in this space. As part of this work the Government has committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under this scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed.The consultation response sets out that, in the first instance, the Government will prioritise the introduction of legal restrictions to ensure that cosmetic procedures that are deemed to pose the highest level of risk to the public, such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift, are classed as Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activities. This will mean that these procedures will only be performed by suitably qualified regulated healthcare professionals, working for providers who are registered with the CQC.We will subsequently take forward work to determine which procedures will be included within the scheme and what requirements will have to be met in order to be granted a licence. This includes requirements relating to training and qualification standards and infection prevention and control measures. We are working with a range of stakeholders to better understand the risks posed by unsafe practice and to ensure the design of the licensing scheme addresses these safety concerns. To help inform this work, we will consider what relevant systems and standards are already in place, both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

What steps his Department is taking to monitor (a) cases of (i) parasitic infections and (ii) chemical sensitisation and (b) infection rates associated with poor hygiene practices in nail and beauty salons.

Nail and beauty salons are already required to comply with various legislation depending on the services they offer. This includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other legislation such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. This legislation requires that operators ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and that their clients are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce further regulation in this space. As part of this work the Government has committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under this scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed.The consultation response sets out that, in the first instance, the Government will prioritise the introduction of legal restrictions to ensure that cosmetic procedures that are deemed to pose the highest level of risk to the public, such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift, are classed as Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activities. This will mean that these procedures will only be performed by suitably qualified regulated healthcare professionals, working for providers who are registered with the CQC.We will subsequently take forward work to determine which procedures will be included within the scheme and what requirements will have to be met in order to be granted a licence. This includes requirements relating to training and qualification standards and infection prevention and control measures. We are working with a range of stakeholders to better understand the risks posed by unsafe practice and to ensure the design of the licensing scheme addresses these safety concerns. To help inform this work, we will consider what relevant systems and standards are already in place, both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support the tourism industry in the South West.

DCMS works with the national tourism agency, VisitBritain, to champion visits to Britain to a worldwide audience. To drive more inbound visits across Britain, VisitBritain launched a global screen tourism campaign ‘’Starring Great Britain’’ in January 2025. The campaign uses the country's rich film and television history as a hook to inspire visitors to explore diverse and often rural destinations. The launch was supported by a wider advertising campaign across the UK’s largest and most valuable inbound visitor markets including Australia, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, France, Germany and the USA.The Government also has part funded, through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the South West Visitor Economy Hub, which is an online tool providing tourism and hospitality businesses in Devon and Somerset with real-time data and insights to help them make informed decisions. It tracks trends like visitor demographics, volume, and expenditure, as well as business performance and marketing impact. By offering this information, the Hub aims to support local businesses in growing their productivity and financial stability.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of low-cost, unregulated online beauty courses on (a) public safety and (b) professional standards.

Nail and beauty salons are already required to comply with various legislation depending on the services they offer. This includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other legislation such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. This legislation requires that operators ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and that their clients are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce further regulation in this space. As part of this work the Government has committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under this scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed.The consultation response sets out that, in the first instance, the Government will prioritise the introduction of legal restrictions to ensure that cosmetic procedures that are deemed to pose the highest level of risk to the public, such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift, are classed as Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activities. This will mean that these procedures will only be performed by suitably qualified regulated healthcare professionals, working for providers who are registered with the CQC.We will subsequently take forward work to determine which procedures will be included within the scheme and what requirements will have to be met in order to be granted a licence. This includes requirements relating to training and qualification standards and infection prevention and control measures. We are working with a range of stakeholders to better understand the risks posed by unsafe practice and to ensure the design of the licensing scheme addresses these safety concerns. To help inform this work, we will consider what relevant systems and standards are already in place, both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

Whether his Department has considered adopting (a) mandatory sterilisation equipment, (b) spot checks, (c) minimum qualification standards and (d) other international best practices for nail and beauty salons.

Nail and beauty salons are already required to comply with various legislation depending on the services they offer. This includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other legislation such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. This legislation requires that operators ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and that their clients are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce further regulation in this space. As part of this work the Government has committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under this scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed.The consultation response sets out that, in the first instance, the Government will prioritise the introduction of legal restrictions to ensure that cosmetic procedures that are deemed to pose the highest level of risk to the public, such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift, are classed as Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activities. This will mean that these procedures will only be performed by suitably qualified regulated healthcare professionals, working for providers who are registered with the CQC.We will subsequently take forward work to determine which procedures will be included within the scheme and what requirements will have to be met in order to be granted a licence. This includes requirements relating to training and qualification standards and infection prevention and control measures. We are working with a range of stakeholders to better understand the risks posed by unsafe practice and to ensure the design of the licensing scheme addresses these safety concerns. To help inform this work, we will consider what relevant systems and standards are already in place, both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

Whether his Department has considered the introduction of (a) mandatory hygiene protocols and (b) licensing requirements for nail and beauty salons.

Nail and beauty salons are already required to comply with various legislation depending on the services they offer. This includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other legislation such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. This legislation requires that operators ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and that their clients are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce further regulation in this space. As part of this work the Government has committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under this scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed.The consultation response sets out that, in the first instance, the Government will prioritise the introduction of legal restrictions to ensure that cosmetic procedures that are deemed to pose the highest level of risk to the public, such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift, are classed as Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activities. This will mean that these procedures will only be performed by suitably qualified regulated healthcare professionals, working for providers who are registered with the CQC.We will subsequently take forward work to determine which procedures will be included within the scheme and what requirements will have to be met in order to be granted a licence. This includes requirements relating to training and qualification standards and infection prevention and control measures. We are working with a range of stakeholders to better understand the risks posed by unsafe practice and to ensure the design of the licensing scheme addresses these safety concerns. To help inform this work, we will consider what relevant systems and standards are already in place, both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

With reference to his Department's plan Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, when he plans to publish more information about the intended reforms to the Better Care Fund.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan and in the 2025/26 Better Care Fund policy framework, we will reform the Better Care Fund from the 2026/27 financial year. An announcement with further detail on this reform will be made in due course.

How much and what proportion of the Better Care Fund will be spent on supporting unpaid family carers in the 2025-26 financial year; and how much was provided for (a) short breaks and (b) respite for carers in the 2022-23 financial year.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan and the 2025/26 Better Care Fund policy framework, we will reform the Better Care Fund from financial year 2026/27. An announcement with further detail on this reform will be made in due course. The reform will not impact on the level of funding intended to support unpaid carers in future financial years.In 2025/26, health and wellbeing boards were asked what the primary objective of each scheme was. In England, £222,515,273 was allocated to schemes with the primary objective of supporting unpaid carers. Primary objectives were not requested in previous years for comparison.Health and wellbeing boards are also asked to record information on scheme types. The most appropriate scheme type in 2025/26 was support to carers, including unpaid carers, which has a planned spend of £201,223,000. In previous years, the most appropriate scheme type was carers services. The following table shows the total planned spend on carers services for 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25:YearTotal planned spend on carers services2022/23£156,863,0082023/24£211,660,3712024/25£216,884,174 There are no sub types for planned spend on unpaid family carers or short breaks. In 2022/23, £86,394,455, or 55%, of the total planned spend on carers services was spent on the sub type respite.Information on scheme types for carers broken down by health and wellbeing board has been published and is available for the year 2025/26 and for the years 2023 to 2025, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/better-care-fund-2025-26-planning-data/https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/better-care-fund-2023-to-2025-planning-data/

If he will publish the evaluation commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Care Research on support for unpaid carers funded through the Better Care Fund undertaken in 2023-24.

The Department funds independent research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). This project is funded through the NIHR Policy Research Programme.The research undertaken in 2023/24 was a development phase, which is the preparatory stage for a larger research project, with findings available at the following link:https://www.lse.ac.uk/cpec/assets/documents/CPEC-Briefing-Note-2-Support-for-unpaid-carers.pdfThe second phase of the evaluation is ongoing. Findings from the second phase will be made publicly available after research is completed in July 2028.The publication of research is led by the research team and in line with NIHR commitments to the transparent and independent publication of high-quality research. The views expressed in research outputs are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department.

With reference to his Department's plan Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, whether the plans to reform the Better Care Fund will impact on the level of funding intended to support unpaid carers in future financial years.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan and the 2025/26 Better Care Fund policy framework, we will reform the Better Care Fund from financial year 2026/27. An announcement with further detail on this reform will be made in due course. The reform will not impact on the level of funding intended to support unpaid carers in future financial years.In 2025/26, health and wellbeing boards were asked what the primary objective of each scheme was. In England, £222,515,273 was allocated to schemes with the primary objective of supporting unpaid carers. Primary objectives were not requested in previous years for comparison.Health and wellbeing boards are also asked to record information on scheme types. The most appropriate scheme type in 2025/26 was support to carers, including unpaid carers, which has a planned spend of £201,223,000. In previous years, the most appropriate scheme type was carers services. The following table shows the total planned spend on carers services for 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25:YearTotal planned spend on carers services2022/23£156,863,0082023/24£211,660,3712024/25£216,884,174 There are no sub types for planned spend on unpaid family carers or short breaks. In 2022/23, £86,394,455, or 55%, of the total planned spend on carers services was spent on the sub type respite.Information on scheme types for carers broken down by health and wellbeing board has been published and is available for the year 2025/26 and for the years 2023 to 2025, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/better-care-fund-2025-26-planning-data/https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/better-care-fund-2023-to-2025-planning-data/

What was the cost to the public purse of supporting unpaid carers in England through the Better Care Fund in each of the last three financial years.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan and the 2025/26 Better Care Fund policy framework, we will reform the Better Care Fund from financial year 2026/27. An announcement with further detail on this reform will be made in due course. The reform will not impact on the level of funding intended to support unpaid carers in future financial years.In 2025/26, health and wellbeing boards were asked what the primary objective of each scheme was. In England, £222,515,273 was allocated to schemes with the primary objective of supporting unpaid carers. Primary objectives were not requested in previous years for comparison.Health and wellbeing boards are also asked to record information on scheme types. The most appropriate scheme type in 2025/26 was support to carers, including unpaid carers, which has a planned spend of £201,223,000. In previous years, the most appropriate scheme type was carers services. The following table shows the total planned spend on carers services for 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25:YearTotal planned spend on carers services2022/23£156,863,0082023/24£211,660,3712024/25£216,884,174 There are no sub types for planned spend on unpaid family carers or short breaks. In 2022/23, £86,394,455, or 55%, of the total planned spend on carers services was spent on the sub type respite.Information on scheme types for carers broken down by health and wellbeing board has been published and is available for the year 2025/26 and for the years 2023 to 2025, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/better-care-fund-2025-26-planning-data/https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/better-care-fund-2023-to-2025-planning-data/

How much Better Care Fund funding has been provided to each health and wellbeing board to support unpaid carers in each of the last three financial years.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan and the 2025/26 Better Care Fund policy framework, we will reform the Better Care Fund from financial year 2026/27. An announcement with further detail on this reform will be made in due course. The reform will not impact on the level of funding intended to support unpaid carers in future financial years.In 2025/26, health and wellbeing boards were asked what the primary objective of each scheme was. In England, £222,515,273 was allocated to schemes with the primary objective of supporting unpaid carers. Primary objectives were not requested in previous years for comparison.Health and wellbeing boards are also asked to record information on scheme types. The most appropriate scheme type in 2025/26 was support to carers, including unpaid carers, which has a planned spend of £201,223,000. In previous years, the most appropriate scheme type was carers services. The following table shows the total planned spend on carers services for 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25:YearTotal planned spend on carers services2022/23£156,863,0082023/24£211,660,3712024/25£216,884,174 There are no sub types for planned spend on unpaid family carers or short breaks. In 2022/23, £86,394,455, or 55%, of the total planned spend on carers services was spent on the sub type respite.Information on scheme types for carers broken down by health and wellbeing board has been published and is available for the year 2025/26 and for the years 2023 to 2025, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/better-care-fund-2025-26-planning-data/https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/better-care-fund-2023-to-2025-planning-data/

Whether her Department is taking steps to expedite delayed biometric processing in Islamabad, Pakistan, for family members of people who assisted UK military operations in Afghanistan; and whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential risk of family members being deported to Afghanistan and identified by the Taliban.

The Home Office does not hold this information.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 51603, if he will provide an update on when the Pathways to Work White Paper will be published.

We have already put in place the equivalent of over 1000 full-time Pathways to Work advisers across Britain to support disabled people into work. We have also launched the Timms Review to ensure PIP is fair and fit for the future and are increasing the number of health assessments that are being conducted in person. We will be bringing forward other policy updates in due course.

If he will consider extending access to cardiac screening to people aged 14 to 35 who participate in sport.

In the United Kingdom, national screening programmes are introduced based on the recommendations of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific advisory committee which advises ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries on all aspects of population and targeted screening and which supports implementation.The UK NSC last reviewed screening for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in people under the age of 39 years old in 2019 and concluded that population screening should not be offered. Further information is available at the following link:https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/sudden-cardiac-death/The UK NSC is currently examining the evidence for SCD screening and will open a public consultation to seek comments from members of the public and stakeholders on this in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Wait 45 policy on (a) ambulance release times and (b) levels of corridor care in hospitals.

The Department has not made a specific assessment. However, ambulance handover delays have improved since last year, and monthly average national handover times have been under 30 minutes since May 2025.As part of the preparations for winter, the Department and NHS England have asked all services to develop and test winter plans, including specific actions to improve flow through hospitals and making progress on eliminating corridor care.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 82424 on Animal Experiments, which experiments does the alternative methods strategy include timelines for phasing out.

The Labour Manifesto commits to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal.The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year and will outline targets and timelines for the phasing out of some specific applications of animal testing.

Innovation and Technology, what quality assurance is in place to ensure that when a licence is issued for small-scale digital deployment, the coverage delivered aligns with the planned coverage; and how her Department works with operators to ensure an appropriate level of service is maintained.

Localised networks, such as private mobile networks, are delivered by a wide range of providers to support connectivity for particular users, for example, for business and organisations in sectors such as manufacturing and healthcare. This is different from the coverage provided by the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) through their national networks, for which we have set the national ambition. For these localised networks, coverage and service levels are typically agreed between the service provider and its customers, and this will vary significantly between different uses. As such, coverage and service levels are not routinely monitored.