Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Pulse’s report entitled General Practice Workforce White Paper, published in January 2025, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of Pulse's conclusion that around a quarter of salaried GPs and locums are looking for a permanent role at the same time as practices are facing a shortfall in GP numbers; and what steps is his Department taking to (a) improve access to GPs and (b) increase the number of (i) FTE GPs in work and (ii) GPs on permanent contracts.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
We are aware of reports of issues of general practitioner (GP) underemployment and unemployment in some areas, and the Department is taking several steps to tackle this issue and ensure that GPs can find fulfilling roles.
Across 2025/26 and 2026/27, an additional £1.7 billion has been invested in GPs via the practice and network contracts, 14% in cash terms and over 8% in real terms.
From 1 October 2024, the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) was updated to allow the recruitment of recently qualified GPs by primary care networks (PCNs) with additional ringfenced funding of £82 million. From 1 April 2025, funding for recruiting GPs via the scheme was no longer ringfenced, meaning that there would be no cap on the number that PCNs could recruit. Between 1 October 2024 and 31 May 2026, 3,879 individual GPs, as a headcount, have been employed and funded via the ARRS, with further information available at the following link:
As a result of these efforts, we currently have the highest number of full time equivalent (FTE) fully qualified GPs on record since 2015, 2,000 more than in July 2024. In keeping with this, FTE roles for GPs are increasingly being created and advertised, and a total of 710 advertised FTE roles were placed on the NHS Jobs service during Quarter four of 2025/26. This compares to 436 in Quarter four of 2024/25, an increase of 62.8%.
In the GP Contract this year we are going further. In NHS England’s letter regarding changes to the GP Contract of 24 February 2026, we announced the introduction of a new practice-level GP reimbursement scheme to enable practices to recruit new GPs or increase the number of sessions from GPs already working in the practice. The letter is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/changes-to-the-gp-contract-in-2026-27/
This scheme is funded by repurposing £292 million of funding previously allocated to the PCN level Capacity and Access Payment. From 1 April 2026, rules were also amended to permit any GP to be employed using ARRS funding providing that they had not previously been employed as a GP in core member practice of the PCN in the previous 12 months.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of British dual nationals who have been refused boarding or otherwise prevented from travelling to the UK since February 2026 as a result of pre-departure documentation requirements.
Answered by Mike Tapp
There are a range of reasons why a British dual national may have been denied boarding; however, there is no single data set held.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to introduce discretion, exemptions or transitional arrangements within the Electronic Travel Authorisation system and carrier liability framework to prevent cases of hardship among British dual nationals.
Answered by Mike Tapp
We recognise that the enforcement of ETAs by carriers is a significant change, and so we have taken steps including the provision of additional temporary guidance on possible alternative documentation, and have put in place around the clock support for carriers to respond to these changes. The Member may wish to refer to the Written Ministerial Statement issued on 25 February for further detail. Individuals who have previously had a British passport can apply for an emergency travel document if they urgently need to enter the UK. That notwithstanding, to minimise the risk of disruption, we would always encourage British nationals to travel on a valid British passport where able.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provisions are in place for British dual nationals to demonstrate their right of abode under the Immigration Act 1971 in urgent or compassionate circumstances where they do not hold a valid UK passport or certificate of entitlement.
Answered by Mike Tapp
We recognise that the enforcement of ETAs by carriers is a significant change, and so we have taken steps including the provision of additional temporary guidance on possible alternative documentation, and have put in place around the clock support for carriers to respond to these changes. The Member may wish to refer to the Written Ministerial Statement issued on 25 February for further detail. Individuals who have previously had a British passport can apply for an emergency travel document if they urgently need to enter the UK. That notwithstanding, to minimise the risk of disruption, we would always encourage British nationals to travel on a valid British passport where able.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that British citizens exercising their right of abode are not prevented from returning to the UK due to carrier enforcement of pre-departure checks.
Answered by Mike Tapp
We recognise that the enforcement of ETAs by carriers is a significant change, and so we have taken steps including the provision of additional temporary guidance on possible alternative documentation, and have put in place around the clock support for carriers to respond to these changes. The Member may wish to refer to the Written Ministerial Statement issued on 25 February for further detail. Individuals who have previously had a British passport can apply for an emergency travel document if they urgently need to enter the UK. That notwithstanding, to minimise the risk of disruption, we would always encourage British nationals to travel on a valid British passport where able.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact on British dual nationals of the operation of the carrier liability scheme, as expanded under section 76 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, in requiring proof of permission to travel prior to boarding for the UK.
Answered by Mike Tapp
Section 76 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 expands the carriers liability scheme to cover the requirement to hold an electronic travel authorisation (ETA). British nationals (including dual nationals) are not eligible for an ETA and therefore their travel is not in scope for this penalty. We recognise that the enforcement of permission to travel checks will impact on dual nationals and have taken steps including the provision of additional temporary guidance on possible alternative documentation, and have put in place around the clock support for carriers to respond to these changes. This is a proportionate change to enable dual nationals to prove their right of abode in the UK.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many higher education institutions applied for the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education by 24 March 2026; and how many were accepted.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Erasmus Charter for Higher Education applications are currently subject to admissibility and eligibility checks before being evaluated against published award criteria.
We anticipate that the results will be published in September 2026.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the protections available to people in licensed accommodation in respect of (a) unsafe living conditions, including damp and mould, and (b) disputed utility charges; and whether he plans to improve enforcement mechanisms for such cases.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All renters, regardless of tenure or agreement type, deserve to live in safe and secure homes.
Those with a licence to occupy accommodation are protected from eviction and harassment and have a right to report health and safety concerns about their property to the local authority.
A landlord may include an amount in the rent to cover the cost of utilities that a licensee uses. A landlord may also record the occupier’s consumption and recharge them for it. Where utilities are resold, maximum resale price rules apply (Ofwat’s for water and Ofgem’s for gas and electricity), unless the charge is included in the rent for the accommodation.
In October 2025, Ofgem issued a call for input on Reselling Gas and Electricity to assess whether current arrangements under the Maximum Resale Price provisions remain fit for purpose. It can be found here. Ofgem is considering the responses received and aims to publish a policy consultation on proposed changes in the summer.
Local authorities already have robust powers to protect people living in accommodation subject to selective or HMO licensing. This includes using licence conditions to help ensure landlords provide safe and well-maintained properties and have suitable management arrangements in place. We keep licensing regulations under review.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of existing regulations on the charging and transparency of utility costs for people in accommodation occupied under licence agreements.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All renters, regardless of tenure or agreement type, deserve to live in safe and secure homes.
Those with a licence to occupy accommodation are protected from eviction and harassment and have a right to report health and safety concerns about their property to the local authority.
A landlord may include an amount in the rent to cover the cost of utilities that a licensee uses. A landlord may also record the occupier’s consumption and recharge them for it. Where utilities are resold, maximum resale price rules apply (Ofwat’s for water and Ofgem’s for gas and electricity), unless the charge is included in the rent for the accommodation.
In October 2025, Ofgem issued a call for input on Reselling Gas and Electricity to assess whether current arrangements under the Maximum Resale Price provisions remain fit for purpose. It can be found here. Ofgem is considering the responses received and aims to publish a policy consultation on proposed changes in the summer.
Local authorities already have robust powers to protect people living in accommodation subject to selective or HMO licensing. This includes using licence conditions to help ensure landlords provide safe and well-maintained properties and have suitable management arrangements in place. We keep licensing regulations under review.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of protection available to people occupying accommodation under licence agreements.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All renters, regardless of tenure or agreement type, deserve to live in safe and secure homes.
Those with a licence to occupy accommodation are protected from eviction and harassment and have a right to report health and safety concerns about their property to the local authority.
A landlord may include an amount in the rent to cover the cost of utilities that a licensee uses. A landlord may also record the occupier’s consumption and recharge them for it. Where utilities are resold, maximum resale price rules apply (Ofwat’s for water and Ofgem’s for gas and electricity), unless the charge is included in the rent for the accommodation.
In October 2025, Ofgem issued a call for input on Reselling Gas and Electricity to assess whether current arrangements under the Maximum Resale Price provisions remain fit for purpose. It can be found here. Ofgem is considering the responses received and aims to publish a policy consultation on proposed changes in the summer.
Local authorities already have robust powers to protect people living in accommodation subject to selective or HMO licensing. This includes using licence conditions to help ensure landlords provide safe and well-maintained properties and have suitable management arrangements in place. We keep licensing regulations under review.