Written questions by Andrew.

What estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of the freeze to the repayment threshold from April 2027 on average annual repayments for Plan 2 student loan borrowers.

It was announced at the Autumn Budget that the repayment and interest thresholds for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen from the 2026/27 financial year until April 2030, when they will increase annually by inflation.The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.If a borrower is earning above the repayment threshold and their income stays the same, then their repayments will remain the same. If a borrower is not earning above the repayment threshold and their income remains the same, they will continue to not be required to make any repayments.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of freezing the Plan 2 student loan repayment threshold from April 2027 on existing student loan borrowers.

It was announced at the Autumn Budget that the repayment and interest thresholds for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen from the 2026/27 financial year until April 2030, when they will increase annually by inflation.The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.If a borrower is earning above the repayment threshold and their income stays the same, then their repayments will remain the same. If a borrower is not earning above the repayment threshold and their income remains the same, they will continue to not be required to make any repayments.

Pursuant to the Answer to Question UIN 82954, answered on 15 January 2026, what activities the £18,818,566 paid by NHS England for validation exercises (April to September 2025) funded; whether those payments were made on the basis of a per-patient or per-pathway “RTT clock stop” rate (or any other unit rate); and if he will make a statement.

NHS England has provided funding to increase validation of waiting lists in 2025/26, as part of the Government's plans for a more productive and improved approach to elective care which is better for patients. A £33 fee is provided for each additional referral to treatment clock stop per patient pathway above a provider’s agreed baseline.Validation is a clinically supported process and forms a long-standing part of trusts’ routine management of their waiting lists. National guidance from NHS England provides further information about the validation process and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/B2121ii-validation-toolkit-and-guidance-december-2022.pdf

What payments NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board made to its former Chief Executive in connection with his departure in October 2025; and what the amounts were for (a) redundancy and (b) pay in lieu of notice.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the number of jobs in rural areas that will be affected by a ban on trail hunting.

The department intends to launch a consultation seeking views on how to deliver a ban on trail hunting. The responses to that consultation will be used to inform our assessment of the potential impact of a ban on trail hunting on the economy in rural communities.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of a ban on trail hunting on the economy in rural communities.

The department intends to launch a consultation seeking views on how to deliver a ban on trail hunting. The responses to that consultation will be used to inform our assessment of the potential impact of a ban on trail hunting on the economy in rural communities.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to consult (a) rural stakeholders and (b) trail hunting organisations prior to the introduction of legislative proposals to ban trail hunting.

We intend to launch a consultation seeking views on how to deliver a ban on trail hunting. We will welcome input from all quarters, including from rural stakeholders and trail hunting organisations.

Whether her Department plans to publish analysis of the business rates burden by sector and business size following the 2026 revaluation.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 101363.

What assessment her Department has made of the comparative impact of the 2026 business rates revaluation on (a) small retailers and (b) online distribution centres.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 101363.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the 2026 business rates revaluation on small businesses operating in high street premises.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 101363.

Whether she plans to introduce further transitional relief for small businesses facing increases in business rates liabilities following the 2026 revaluation.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 101363.

Whether she has considered freezing or reducing the small business multiplier in response to rising fixed costs for SMEs.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 101363.

Media and Sport, whether her Department considers trail hunting to form part of the UK’s rural cultural heritage.

DCMS and each of the Devolved Governments are working to create inventories of living heritage in the UK. The criteria are set out here: https://livingheritage.unesco.org.uk/info/guidance/criteria.

How many exit payments of £150,000 and more were made by integrated care boards in the 2024-25 financial year.

Data reported in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2024/25 is limited to providing high-level data on the total number and cost of exit payments, including non-contractual severance payments. This data is not broken down to identify the name or type of specific organisations or payment types. The data provided in the Department’s accounts use consolidated data from NHS England.NHS England has confirmed that during 2024/25, there were 33 exit payment cases disclosed by integrated care boards which were of a value of £150,001 or more. This means that an exit package might be agreed, approved, and accrued in one financial year, and so disclosed in that year, but the actual payment may, in some cases, fall into the next financial year. NHS England does not hold information to identify where this is the case.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that Integrated Care Boards do not (a) implement minimum waiting times and (b) make reductions to Indicative Action Plans in ways that could risk patient harm.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have existing contractual powers to manage activity by providers, which were enhanced in 2025/26 with central support for setting and managing activity. The NHS Standard Contract includes the ability to set indicative activity plans (IAPs) to help providers and commissioners plan demand, capacity and expenditure. Activity management plans (AMPs) allow commissioners and providers to work together to manage elective activity within agreed performance and financial targets.The setting of IAPs and AMPs must be appropriate, and the designated process needs to be followed. Commissioners’ use of IAPs and AMPs support systems to live within their means and deploy better financial discipline than previous years where systems have overspent.The provision and use of IAPs and AMPs is designed to deliver the demand and activity levels modelled to achieve the goal of at least 65% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks for treatment by March 2026 whilst living within financial budgets set for 2025/26.Any planning assumptions based on waiting times need to support commissioners’ overall duties to the populations they serve and our waiting time targets, including our commitment to return to the 18-week standard. NHS England have worked with commissioners to ensure services are not planned on the basis of waiting times above this standard.While IAPs and AMPs are implemented to ensure this financial balance, all providers are expected to have their own safeguards to ensure that patients waiting for planned care are triaged, and that appointments take place according to clinical priority and the length of time patients have waited, avoiding risk of serious complications.

Whether (a) his Department and (b) NHS England has issued guidance to Integrated Care Boards on the use of minimum waiting times for elective care.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have existing contractual powers to manage activity by providers, which were enhanced in 2025/26 with central support for setting and managing activity. The NHS Standard Contract includes the ability to set indicative activity plans (IAPs) to help providers and commissioners plan demand, capacity and expenditure. Activity management plans (AMPs) allow commissioners and providers to work together to manage elective activity within agreed performance and financial targets.The setting of IAPs and AMPs must be appropriate, and the designated process needs to be followed. Commissioners’ use of IAPs and AMPs support systems to live within their means and deploy better financial discipline than previous years where systems have overspent.The provision and use of IAPs and AMPs is designed to deliver the demand and activity levels modelled to achieve the goal of at least 65% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks for treatment by March 2026 whilst living within financial budgets set for 2025/26.Any planning assumptions based on waiting times need to support commissioners’ overall duties to the populations they serve and our waiting time targets, including our commitment to return to the 18-week standard. NHS England have worked with commissioners to ensure services are not planned on the basis of waiting times above this standard.While IAPs and AMPs are implemented to ensure this financial balance, all providers are expected to have their own safeguards to ensure that patients waiting for planned care are triaged, and that appointments take place according to clinical priority and the length of time patients have waited, avoiding risk of serious complications.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to Indicative Action Plans and the introduction of minimum waiting times on patients with ongoing care needs, including those at risk of serious complications such as irreversible sight loss.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have existing contractual powers to manage activity by providers, which were enhanced in 2025/26 with central support for setting and managing activity. The NHS Standard Contract includes the ability to set indicative activity plans (IAPs) to help providers and commissioners plan demand, capacity and expenditure. Activity management plans (AMPs) allow commissioners and providers to work together to manage elective activity within agreed performance and financial targets.The setting of IAPs and AMPs must be appropriate, and the designated process needs to be followed. Commissioners’ use of IAPs and AMPs support systems to live within their means and deploy better financial discipline than previous years where systems have overspent.The provision and use of IAPs and AMPs is designed to deliver the demand and activity levels modelled to achieve the goal of at least 65% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks for treatment by March 2026 whilst living within financial budgets set for 2025/26.Any planning assumptions based on waiting times need to support commissioners’ overall duties to the populations they serve and our waiting time targets, including our commitment to return to the 18-week standard. NHS England have worked with commissioners to ensure services are not planned on the basis of waiting times above this standard.While IAPs and AMPs are implemented to ensure this financial balance, all providers are expected to have their own safeguards to ensure that patients waiting for planned care are triaged, and that appointments take place according to clinical priority and the length of time patients have waited, avoiding risk of serious complications.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the July 2019 implementation date of the Contingent Reimbursement Model Code on victims of authorised push payment scams that occurred before that date; and whether she plans to review redress mechanisms to ensure consistent treatment of victims regardless of when losses occurred.

The Government takes the issue of fraud very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this appalling crime. To protect consumers, under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has introduced a mandatory reimbursement regime for Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams taking place over the Faster Payment system. This came into force on 7 October 2024. The details of the APP reimbursement regime are a matter for the independent PSR. Transactions that occurred before 7 October 2024, may be governed by the Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM), a voluntary code signed by the UK’s largest banks and building societies that came into force in May 2019. However, it is important to note that not all banks or building societies are party to the CRM code. The CRM code is overseen by the Lending Standards Board and more information can be found on their website.

What assessment she has made of the impact of the 2025 Autumn Budget on business rates for pubs and hospitality venues; and whether she plans to review the business rates settlement for community-based pubs facing significant cost increases despite transitional relief.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. Government support also means that most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, including grassroots music venues, while ensuring that warehouses used by online giants will pay more. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit. Without this support, pubs would have faced a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. However, because of the support the Government has put in place, this has fallen to just 4%.

What recent engagement his Department has had with the devolved Administrations in relation to the recommendations of The Hughes Report, published on 7 February 2024; and whether any Ministerial-level discussions are planned with the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

While health is predominantly devolved, the Department holds some reserved functions and working together across the United Kingdom on health and social care is ingrained in the values of our National Health Service and social care sector.The Patient Safety Commissioner’s report covered England-only, however, any response by the Government to the recommendations of the Hughes Report in England will likely have implications for the devolved administrations and their constituents. Engagement between officials across the UK occurs regularly and during an Inter-Ministerial Group meeting on 11 December 2025, the Hughes report was discussed and ministers across the four nations agreed to meet in January 2026 for further engagement.