Written questions by Murray.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Indian counterpart on the release of Jagtar Singh Johal.

The UK Government is committed to pushing the Government of India for faster progress to resolve Jagtar Singh Johal's case. The Foreign Secretary has raised Mr Johal's case with his Indian counterpart on several occasions, most recently on 5 March. The Prime Minister also raised Mr Johal's case with the Indian External Affairs Minister on 4 March, during his visit to the UK.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that British dentists have access to Licence in Dental Surgery examinations.

The Licence in Dental Surgery (LDS) exam is operated by the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSEng), and the exam is regulated by the General Dental Council (GDC). There are no restrictions to accessing the exam based on British residency status.It is the role of the GDC to approve eligibility criteria for the exam, which is proposed by the RCSEng as its operator. The GDC is independent of the Government. The RCSEng continues to increase the capacity of the LDS exam to ensure more candidates can access a place.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of planned changes to (a) income and (b) inheritance tax on people who inherit more than £1 million.

Inheritance tax is a wealth transfer tax charged on the estate (the property, money, and possessions) of someone who has died. In the latest available tax year (2021-22), 4.39% of all UK deaths were liable to inheritance tax. The tax liability is on the estate and not the beneficiary of any inherited assets. As such, HMRC does not collect information on the beneficiaries of estates, as it has no reason to do so. The Government announced several reforms to inheritance tax at Autumn Budget 2024. The Government’s analysis of these reforms is based on the number of estates expected to pay more inheritance tax. More information is available in the various policy papers published alongside the Budget: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-budget-2024.

If he will take steps to ensure that British dentists are prioritized when allocating Licence in Dental Surgery examination places.

The Licence in Dental Surgery (LDS) exam is operated by the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSEng), and the exam is regulated by the General Dental Council (GDC). There are no restrictions to accessing the exam based on British residency status.It is the role of the GDC to approve eligibility criteria for the exam, which is proposed by the RCSEng as its operator. The GDC is independent of the Government. The RCSEng continues to increase the capacity of the LDS exam to ensure more candidates can access a place.

What assessment her Department has made of the risk that the Collect and Pay service charge system can be used to place additional financial pressure on the paying parent.

All parents are given the option to use the Direct Pay service, where no fees apply. If a paying parent pays on time and in full on Direct Pay and there is no reason to believe they would be unlikely to pay; they cannot be forced to use the Collect and Pay service. The 20% collection fee for paying parents is a deterrent against non-compliance and offsets the cost of action needed to recover arrears.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Child Maintenance Service Collect and Pay service fees on families.

The Government is dedicated to ensuring parents meet their obligations to children, taking robust enforcement action against those who do not. Cases in Collect & Pay represent the most difficult cases, as many of these have been unwilling to pay voluntarily or have not been compliant in a Direct Pay arrangement. Cases where the paying parent has missed payments or demonstrated behaviour that suggests they are unlikely to pay, can be put on the Collect and Pay service. Fees only apply to the Collect and Pay Service. A fee of 20% is added to what the paying parent needs to pay, while 4% is deducted from maintenance paid to receiving parents. The receiving parent charge is only applied from the maintenance that the Child Maintenance Service has successfully collected. Fees were introduced in 2014, partly with the objective to encourage greater collaboration and more family-based arrangements rather than using a statutory service.After Collect and Pay fees were introduced an assessment was carried out by the previous government and published in The Child Maintenance Reforms; 30 Month Review of charging. In July 2024 the government consulted on the proposal for wider reform to consolidate the CMS into a single service type where the CMS monitors and transfers payments. The consultation Improving the collection and transfer of payments, also proposed a new fee structure of just 2% for receiving parents, deducted from maintenance received; 2% for compliant paying parents, on top of maintenance owed; and 20% for non-compliant paying parents, on top of maintenance owed. Following consideration of public responses concerning fees and other proposals in the consultation, and subsequent ministerial decisions, next steps will be detailed in the Government Response, which will be published in due course.

What estimate her Department has made of the average cost difference between the (a) paying and (b) receiving parents for the Child Maintenance Service Collect and Pay service charge.

Collection fees only apply to the Collect and Pay service and are intended to provide both parents with an incentive to collaborate, and offset the cost of the scheme. Entry to the service is permitted if either both parents agree to it, or if the paying parent is deemed ‘unlikely to pay’. Paying parents therefore have the more influence in deciding which service type a case goes into. The 20% collection fee for paying parents is a strong deterrent against non-compliance. The 4% collection fees for receiving parents acknowledges the costs associated with maintaining the case and provides a financial incentive for parents to consider using, or returning to, Direct Pay, or having a family-based arrangement, where appropriate.

For what reason the Child Maintenance Service charges parents to use the Collect and Pay system.

Collection fees were introduced in 2014, with the objectives of subsidising the cost of the service; encouraging greater parental collaboration and more family-based arrangements; and encouraging compliance.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of fees to use the Child Maintenance Service's Collect and Pay system on people using that system.

The Government is dedicated to ensuring parents meet their obligations to children, taking robust enforcement action against those who do not.Cases in Collect & Pay represent the most difficult cases, as many of these have been unwilling to pay voluntarily or have not been compliant in a Direct Pay arrangement. Cases where the paying parent has missed payments or demonstrated behaviour that suggests they are unlikely to pay, can be put on the Collect & Pay service. Fees only apply to the Collect and Pay Service. A fee of 20% is added to what the paying parent needs to pay, while 4% is deducted from maintenance paid to receiving parents.Fees were introduced in 2014, with the objectives of subsidising the cost of the service; encouraging greater collaboration and more family-based arrangements; and encouraging compliance.When Collect and Pay charges were introduced, an assessment was carried out by the previous government and published in The Child Maintenance Reforms; 30 Month Review of charging. The government response to the assessment was that application fees may influence some parents’ decisions regarding their maintenance arrangement.On 8 May 2024 the consultation Child Maintenance: Improving the collection and transfer of payments was published by the previous government before being extended on the 31 July by the current government. The consultation included a range of proposals with the key one being to remove the Direct Pay service and consolidate the CMS into a single streamlined service that monitors and transfers all payments. In addition, it also proposed a new fee structure of just 2% for receiving parents, deducted from maintenance received; 2% for compliant paying parents, on top of maintenance owed; and 20% for non-compliant paying parents, on top of maintenance owed. Following consideration of public responses concerning fees and other proposals in the consultation, and subsequent ministerial decisions, next steps will be detailed in the Government Response, which will be published in due course.

Whether he plans to meet (a) clinicians, (b) patient advocacy groups, (c) affected charities and (d) manufacturers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy to discuss (i) shortages and (ii) potential steps to increase supply.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply issues at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within individual National Health Service trusts is not held centrally.The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to mitigate the supply issue that is affecting the whole of the United Kingdom. Through this, we have managed to secure additional volumes of PERT for 2025 for the UK. We are continuing to work with all suppliers to understand what more can be done to add further resilience to the market. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the remaining gap in the market.In the longer term, the Department has had interest from non-UK suppliers wishing to bring their products to the UK and, along with colleagues in the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, we are working with these potential suppliers, and if authorised, these products could further diversify and strengthen the market.In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to consider the unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department continues to collaborate closely with NHS England colleagues, clinicians, patient groups, and charities to ensure that these mitigation plans are supporting patients, and routinely updates advice and issues further guidance when necessary. There are no current plans to provide additional funding for unlicensed imports.The Department will continue to meet with suppliers, clinicians, representatives from the impacted patient advocacy groups, and charities so that they are informed on the supply situation and the mitigation actions being taken.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of local plans implemented by Integrated Care Boards to mitigate pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy shortages.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply issues at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within individual National Health Service trusts is not held centrally.The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to mitigate the supply issue that is affecting the whole of the United Kingdom. Through this, we have managed to secure additional volumes of PERT for 2025 for the UK. We are continuing to work with all suppliers to understand what more can be done to add further resilience to the market. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the remaining gap in the market.In the longer term, the Department has had interest from non-UK suppliers wishing to bring their products to the UK and, along with colleagues in the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, we are working with these potential suppliers, and if authorised, these products could further diversify and strengthen the market.In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to consider the unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department continues to collaborate closely with NHS England colleagues, clinicians, patient groups, and charities to ensure that these mitigation plans are supporting patients, and routinely updates advice and issues further guidance when necessary. There are no current plans to provide additional funding for unlicensed imports.The Department will continue to meet with suppliers, clinicians, representatives from the impacted patient advocacy groups, and charities so that they are informed on the supply situation and the mitigation actions being taken.

Whether his Department plans to provide additional funding to Integrated Care Boards for the importation of alternative pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy brands.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply issues at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within individual National Health Service trusts is not held centrally.The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to mitigate the supply issue that is affecting the whole of the United Kingdom. Through this, we have managed to secure additional volumes of PERT for 2025 for the UK. We are continuing to work with all suppliers to understand what more can be done to add further resilience to the market. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the remaining gap in the market.In the longer term, the Department has had interest from non-UK suppliers wishing to bring their products to the UK and, along with colleagues in the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, we are working with these potential suppliers, and if authorised, these products could further diversify and strengthen the market.In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to consider the unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department continues to collaborate closely with NHS England colleagues, clinicians, patient groups, and charities to ensure that these mitigation plans are supporting patients, and routinely updates advice and issues further guidance when necessary. There are no current plans to provide additional funding for unlicensed imports.The Department will continue to meet with suppliers, clinicians, representatives from the impacted patient advocacy groups, and charities so that they are informed on the supply situation and the mitigation actions being taken.

What steps his Department is taking to diversify the supply chain for pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply issues at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within individual National Health Service trusts is not held centrally.The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to mitigate the supply issue that is affecting the whole of the United Kingdom. Through this, we have managed to secure additional volumes of PERT for 2025 for the UK. We are continuing to work with all suppliers to understand what more can be done to add further resilience to the market. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the remaining gap in the market.In the longer term, the Department has had interest from non-UK suppliers wishing to bring their products to the UK and, along with colleagues in the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, we are working with these potential suppliers, and if authorised, these products could further diversify and strengthen the market.In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to consider the unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department continues to collaborate closely with NHS England colleagues, clinicians, patient groups, and charities to ensure that these mitigation plans are supporting patients, and routinely updates advice and issues further guidance when necessary. There are no current plans to provide additional funding for unlicensed imports.The Department will continue to meet with suppliers, clinicians, representatives from the impacted patient advocacy groups, and charities so that they are informed on the supply situation and the mitigation actions being taken.

If he will bring forward legislative proposals to regulate the packaging of vapes to provide similar safeguards to that of cigarettes.

It is very worrying that approximately 25% of 11 to 15-year-olds have tried vaping, despite the risks of nicotine addiction. Evidence suggests that vapes appeal to children because of the brightly coloured packaging, amongst other child-friendly features. Evidence also indicates that the nicotine content descriptions on vape packaging are not consistent between packaging, preventing adults from making informed decisions on nicotine strength.The Tobacco and Vapes Bill provides my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care with regulation-making powers to introduce new requirements on retail packaging, including for vaping products and nicotine products. There is a balance to be struck between reducing the appeal of vapes to non-smokers, particularly children, whilst considering the implications for adult smokers to ensure we can achieve the greatest possible impact.It is our intention to regulate the appeal of vapes to children, whilst minimising the impact on adult smokers. We plan on consulting on the preferred options to get this balance right as soon as possible after the bill gains Royal Assent.

How her Department assesses references from British nationals during the visitor visa application process.

The Visit caseworker guidance provides guidance to decision makers when assessing Visitor applications. It sets out that all information provided by the applicant must be assessed which may include supporting statements or references provided by British nationals to support the application - Visit caseworker guidance (accessible) - GOV.UKVisitor visa applications are assessed on their individual merits, considering all aspects of the case. This may include supporting documents provided by a sponsor, which are then evaluated, along with the rest of the application, against the balance of probabilities to determine if the application meets the requirements of the Visitor Immigration Rules - Immigration Rules - Immigration Rules Appendix V: Visitor - Guidance - GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, what support her Department provides to restaurant businesses who have incurred financial cost as a result of operating from premises affected by flammable cladding.

The key objective of the government’s cladding funding schemes is to ensure that life safety fire risks associated with cladding are addressed as quickly as possible to ensure that residents in residential buildings are safe and feel safe in their homes. Funding is available towards eligible costs related to action needed to mitigate the risk posed by cladding on residential buildings over 11m in height. Commercial leaseholders operating in mixed use residential and commercial developments may in some circumstances benefit from protections against having to pay service charges towards equivalent works to fix cladding. Full details of eligibility for cladding safety funding can be found at Cladding Safety Scheme overview - GOV.UK.

What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the bounce back loan scheme implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic; and what assessment he has made of trends in the level of repayment.

The British Business Bank is undertaking a multi-year evaluation of the Covid-19 loan schemes, looking at whether the schemes met their objectives. The Year 2 evaluation report was published in November 2023 and shows that the schemes met their primary objectives of unlocking credit for businesses at scale and speed, reaching just over a quarter of small businesses in the UK. Evaluation evidence to date suggest that the schemes have had a positive impact on business outcomes like survival, turnover and employment.Covid loan guarantee scheme performance data is published on a quarterly basis. As at 30 September 2024, within the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, £6.61 billion had been fully repaid by borrowers and £12.10 billion was being repaid on schedule.

What steps her Department is taking to help support small and medium sized enterprises with the cost of import charges.

Small and medium sized businesses make a vital contribution to the UK economy. There are various arrangements in place that enable businesses to access reduced or zero import charges. With regards to customs duty, the UK has a number of free trade agreements which enable businesses to benefit from paying reduced or zero customs duty. The UK also has several customs procedures which allow businesses to pay a reduced amount of duty on their imports, depending on what they are and what they do with them – for example, if they are importing them temporarily or repairing them. VAT is due on all imports of goods into the UK at the same rate as domestic transactions. This ensures imports cannot undercut UK businesses and does not represent an additional charge for businesses buying imports. VAT registered businesses are able to reclaim VAT paid upon import, in the same way as for domestic purchases, as well as making use of VAT accounting schemes to smooth cash flow.

What assessment her Department has made of the impact of the VAT (a) threshold and (b) rates on the (i) growth and (ii) financial sustainability of small businesses.

At £90,000, the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU country and the joint highest in the OECD. This keeps the majority of businesses out of the VAT regime altogether. The Government’s approach to the VAT threshold and applicable rates aims to balance potential impacts on small businesses, including their growth and financial sustainability, the economy as a whole, and tax revenues. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes made to employer National Insurance contributions at the Autumn Budget 2024 on access to palliative care.

The delivery of palliative and end of life care services is a devolved matter.We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, which enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26. The employer National Insurance contributions rise will be implemented in April 2025.In England, 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.