Written questions by Forster.

Whether his Department plans to assess eligibility for the Immigration Health Surcharge reimbursement scheme for roles supporting NHS services not directly employed by NHS organisations.

When applying for an Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) reimbursement, the applicant must satisfy the requirement of ‘eligible work’ as set out in the IHS guidance. Applicants need to be working in a role where they provide a service which is related to the delivery of health or social care and are either employed or engaged to do the work by a recognised health or care provider, for example, National Health Service trusts or national NHS bodies.There are currently no plans to assess eligibility for the IHS reimbursement scheme for roles supporting NHS services not directly employed by NHS organisations.

Whether his Department plans to review its approach to employment disputes and whistleblowing complaints.

National Health Service organisations are independent employers and have their own policies and procedures for resolving workplace disputes, including whistleblowing complaints, which should be aligned to current employment law and relevant Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service codes of practice or guidance.The Department for Business and Trade and the Ministry of Justice have set up the Dispute Resolution System Taskforce to consider longer-term system reform of dispute resolution across all sectors.

How many times the NHS has settled employment disputes and whistleblowing complaints before going to court in the last five years.

The Department does not hold the information requested. Each National Health Service employer should hold this information for their own organisation. NHS organisations as independent employers who manage their own employment disputes and whether and how to settle claims prior to an Employment Tribunal or court hearing.

How much the NHS has spent on legal costs and compensation following employment disputes and whistleblowing complaints in the last five years.

Information is not held centrally as it is held at trust level. The Department and NHS England do not hold employment dispute data for all National Health Service employers. Employment disputes are typically raised against an individual employee’s employing organisation, and each trust are separate employers.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of commissioning controls, including Indicative Activity Plans, on access to children’s ADHD and autism assessments.

Patients have a legal Right to Choose their provider when referred for National Health Service funded eligible care.In 2023, NHS England published National framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services aimed at supporting those in commissioning roles during their commissioning cycles and operational guidance to support and inform decision-making at service level. These two guidance documents are available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance/https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/operational-guidance-to-deliver-improved-outcomes-in-all-age-autism-assessment-pathways-guidance-for-integrated-care-boards/Integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring that their processes comply with the legal Right to Choose.NHS England is aware that commissioning controls on levels of assessment activity have been set by some commissioners and is working with systems to develop a supporting document to the NHS Payment Scheme 2026/27 statutory consultation to help identify the costs associated with undertaking autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments. This aims to help guide the pricing and create a more equitable and consistent approach to the autism and ADHD assessment payment process. NHS England published the NHS Standard Contract which requires integrated care boards (ICBs) to agree indicative activity plans (IAPs) for any service area which is variably funded, to aid in planning and capacity and demand management. IAPs are planning tools which do not restrict activity carried out by a provider.The NHS Medium Term Planning Framework requires ICBs to undertake thorough demand and capacity planning and to strategically commission services that meet the needs of their patient population. ICBs may need to prioritise certain areas of care for their patient population, which may include managing planned assessment activity in some areas through Activity Management Plans.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. This independent review will inform our new approach to mental health, so people receive the right support, at the right time and in the right place. Likewise, the review will inform our approach so that people with ADHD and autistic people have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities.

How many Gurkha veterans who served prior to 2007 receive pension benefits lower than those received by British Army personnel with equivalent rank and length of service.

The Government greatly values the exceptional and longstanding contribution made by Gurkha soldiers to the United Kingdom. Since 2007, Gurkhas have received the same pension under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme as the rest of the UK Armed Forces. For those who served prior to 2007, for the large majority, the 1948 Gurkha Pension Scheme provides a pension at least as good, and in many cases better, than that given to their British counterparts with identical periods of service. Whilst Defence recognises that the position on historic Gurkha pension arrangements is a source of grievance for some members of the Gurkha community, it should be noted that both the Government and Courts consider that the arrangements are fair and were designed to reflect the context of the period during which scheme was open. In addition, a key principle for public service pensions, maintained by governments over many decades is that no retrospective improvements are made to pensions in payment. To do so would mean that improvements of any kind would become unaffordable for Government. While we are unable to change the terms of the Gurkha Pension Scheme, I am committed to listening to concerns directly and exploring alternative ways to meet the welfare needs of the Gurkha veteran community, both in the UK and Nepal. On 16 December 2025, I met with officials from the Government of Nepal and representatives of the G10 to discuss Gurkha welfare issues. These discussions reinforced the strong and ongoing collaboration between the Ministry of Defence and the Gurkha veteran community. I have asked officials to meet again with Gurkha representatives early this year, and I look forward to continuing dialogue with the Government of Nepal in the spring.

Whether he plans to review the 1948 Gurkha Pension Scheme to ensure parity with the Armed Forces Pension Scheme for all pre-2007 Gurkha veterans.

The Government greatly values the exceptional and longstanding contribution made by Gurkha soldiers to the United Kingdom. Since 2007, Gurkhas have received the same pension under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme as the rest of the UK Armed Forces. For those who served prior to 2007, for the large majority, the 1948 Gurkha Pension Scheme provides a pension at least as good, and in many cases better, than that given to their British counterparts with identical periods of service. Whilst Defence recognises that the position on historic Gurkha pension arrangements is a source of grievance for some members of the Gurkha community, it should be noted that both the Government and Courts consider that the arrangements are fair and were designed to reflect the context of the period during which scheme was open. In addition, a key principle for public service pensions, maintained by governments over many decades is that no retrospective improvements are made to pensions in payment. To do so would mean that improvements of any kind would become unaffordable for Government. While we are unable to change the terms of the Gurkha Pension Scheme, I am committed to listening to concerns directly and exploring alternative ways to meet the welfare needs of the Gurkha veteran community, both in the UK and Nepal. On 16 December 2025, I met with officials from the Government of Nepal and representatives of the G10 to discuss Gurkha welfare issues. These discussions reinforced the strong and ongoing collaboration between the Ministry of Defence and the Gurkha veteran community. I have asked officials to meet again with Gurkha representatives early this year, and I look forward to continuing dialogue with the Government of Nepal in the spring.

What steps is she taking to ensure school buildings are adequately maintained for future use.

This government has published its education estates strategy backed by a 10 year plan to deliver a decade of renewal to transform schools and colleges in England. It is supported by unprecedented long-term funding through to 2034/35. We are investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance for schools and colleges, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26. We are also launching a new Renewal and Retrofit Programme, backed by over £700 million to 2029/30, to improve the condition of school and college buildings, increase resilience to climate change and protect schools from flooding so buildings can last for decades to come and are net zero ready. The Programme will start with schools in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber and the South East, and will be expanded from 2027 to other regions in England. We will set out further details in due course on how schools and colleges join the programme from 2027.

What the average waiting time was for a case to be assigned a caseworker at the Independent Case Examiner in the latest period for which data is available.

The average time taken from complaint receipt to allocation to an investigator (based on cases in investigation on 31 January 2026) was 26.62 weeks. Despite increased demand levels, this is a significant improvement compared to January 2024, when the average wait time was 56.08 weeks. Of those cases in investigation on 31 January 2026, the case which had waited the longest took 45.29 weeks to be allocated to an investigator from the date it was received at ICE. The Independent Case Examiner’s office continually seeks to improve further.

What the longest time it has taken was for a case to be assigned a caseworker at the Independent Case Examiner in the latest period for which data is available.

The average time taken from complaint receipt to allocation to an investigator (based on cases in investigation on 31 January 2026) was 26.62 weeks. Despite increased demand levels, this is a significant improvement compared to January 2024, when the average wait time was 56.08 weeks. Of those cases in investigation on 31 January 2026, the case which had waited the longest took 45.29 weeks to be allocated to an investigator from the date it was received at ICE. The Independent Case Examiner’s office continually seeks to improve further.

What the longest wait has been for a tribunal date to be set to appeal decisions made by the Department for Work and Pensions.

The information requested is not held centrally. Waiting times are calculated from receipt of the appeal to the final disposal decision. The final outcome of any appeal is not necessarily achieved at its first listed hearing so we are unable to extract data about waiting times for tribunal hearing dates.

What the average wait is for a tribunal date to be set to appeal decisions made by the Department for Work and Pensions.

The information requested is not held centrally. Waiting times are calculated from receipt of the appeal to the final disposal decision. The final outcome of any appeal is not necessarily achieved at its first listed hearing so we are unable to extract data about waiting times for tribunal hearing dates.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the EU freezing assets, assigning criminal liability and enforcing travel bans on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Any impact of EU sanctions is a matter for the EU.

What estimate her Department has made of the number and administrative cost of applications for leave to remain per annum that will result from the earned settlement proposals.

The public consultation on ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’ ran for 12 weeks and closed on 12 February 2026. We are now reviewing and analysing all responses received. This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model.Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly. As with all significant policy changes, the proposals will be subject to both an economic impact assessment and equality impact assessment.The Home Office publishes the fees charged and the estimated unit cost of processing immigration and nationality applications on Gov.UK. This can be reviewed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her department has made of the adequacy of the Government’s sanctions decisions following United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803.

We keep the impact of all UK sanctions designations under constant review.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of its earned settlement proposals on the number of children who will be born in the UK without British citizenship; and the number of such children whose entitlement to British citizenship will require a formal application for their registration.

The public consultation on ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’ ran for 12 weeks and closed on 12 February 2026. We are now reviewing and analysing all responses received. This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model.Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly. As with all significant policy changes, the proposals will be subject to both an economic impact assessment and equality impact assessment.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of Plan Two Student Loans on people’s ability to afford housing.

The Government is committed to improving the affordability of housing, and making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible. Student loan repayments are taken into account as part of affordability assessments for mortgage applications, but student loans are very different from a mortgage or credit card debt, as repayments are determined by income, not the amount borrowed. For example, a Plan 2 graduate earning £30,000 will repay only around £4 a month in FY2026–27. The most sustainable long-term method to improve housing affordability and help people into homeownership is to increase the supply of housing. This Government has recommitted to delivering 1.5 million homes over this Parliament.

Whether he plans to amend the Matrimonial Causes Act.

The Government has no plans to amend the Matrimonial Causes Act at this stage.We are in the process of exploring the issues identified by the Law Commission in its 2024 report on financial remedies, ahead of issuing a consultation by Spring this year.

Which schools have received Condition Improvement Funding in Surrey in the last 20 years.

The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) was established in 2015.From 2015/16 to 2025/26, 133 CIF-eligible schools and sixth form colleges in Surrey local authority have submitted 991 CIF applications. Of these, 110 schools secured funding for 378 projects.Further information regarding successful CIF applications, including schools receiving funding, is available for the 2015/16 to 2025/26 rounds and is published on GOV.UK.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of derelict school buildings on children’s education.

Responsible bodies, such as local authorities, academy trusts, and voluntary aided bodies, have a vital obligation in ensuring the safety and condition of school buildings. The department supports local authorities, academy trusts and other bodies responsible for keeping school buildings safe and operational by providing condition funding, guidance and advice.Where there is a significant safety issue with a school building, which cannot be managed with local resources, the department provides additional support on a case-by-case basis.With effective maintenance, most buildings continue to perform long after their intended design life and the department produces the ‘Managing Older Buildings’ guidance for settings to support them in relation to their care and management.The Good Estate Management for Schools guidance contains a range of information that can help organisations to manage their school estate. The resource contains a range of information including strategic estate management, maintenance and health and safety compliance.