Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 58982 on Information Commissioner's Office: Wilmslow, what steps his Department took to find alternative office space for the Information Commissioner's Office in Wilmslow.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) decision to relocate was approved by the Cabinet Office with no formal role for my department. The ICO conducted an extensive search and reviewed a range of locations, including remaining within Wilmslow.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 58982 on Information Commissioner's Office: Wilmslow, if he will publish the Information Commissioner’s Office's commercial analysis of the locations it considered.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) decision to relocate was approved by the Cabinet Office with no formal role for DSIT. Any request for further information about this project, including any plans to publish their commercial analysis, should be addressed directly to the ICO.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people claiming asylum had a criminal record before entering the UK in the most recent period for which data is available.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

All asylum claimants are subject to mandatory security checks to confirm their identity and to link it to their biometric details for the purpose of immigration, security and criminality checks. For further information regarding security checks during the asylum screening process, please see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-screening-and-routing/asylum-screening-and-routing-accessible.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to ascertain previous offences of people claiming asylum in the UK.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

All asylum claimants are subject to mandatory security checks to confirm their identity and to link it to their biometric details for the purpose of immigration, security and criminality checks. For further information regarding security checks during the asylum screening process, please see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-screening-and-routing/asylum-screening-and-routing-accessible.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department shares information with local police forces on the criminal records of asylum seekers placed in their area.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office communicates regularly with local police forces, and with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, to assess the operational implications of housing asylum seekers in different areas and regions around the country, and will always do what is necessary to protect the safety and security of each local community affected.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of asylum seekers have had their DNA taken on arrival in the UK.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 9 July to Question 63301. The current procedures are the same as those that were in place under the previous government.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's proposals for a Remote Betting & Gaming Duty on (a) levels of investment in the UK, (b) consumer costs and (c) levels of illegal gambling.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is consulting on proposals to simplify the current gambling tax system by merging the three current taxes that cover remote (including online) gambling into one. The Government welcomes views from stakeholders, as part of the consultation process.

No final policy decisions have been made. If any changes are made to gambling duties at a future Budget following the consultation, they will be accompanied by a Tax Information and Impact Note which will set out the expected impacts, including to individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

DCMS works closely with the Gambling Commission to ensure that illegal gambling, in all its forms, is addressed. The Crime and Policing Bill, introduced in Parliament on 25 February 2025, will grant the Gambling Commission with powers to move quickly and effectively to take down illegal gambling websites.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 58984 on Information Commissioner's Office: Wilmslow, what (a) consultations and (b) impact assessments his Department carried out before approving the decision to relocate the Information Commissioner's Office.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Office of Government Property was satisfied that the relocation to the proposed new offices better suited the requirements of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) based on the information provided and our engagement with the Government Property Agency.

It also understood that the ICO had undertaken the relevant external consultation and impact assessments needed to assess the relocation options.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 94 of his Department's policy paper entitled Fit for the future: 10 year health plan for England, published in July 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of transferring the hosting arrangement for the Patient Safety Commissioner to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on the level of independence of that post.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Dr Dash’s review of patient safety across the health and care landscape was published in July 2025. The review sets out a broad aim to streamline, simplify, and consolidate functions across the patient safety landscape. Dr Dash made nine recommendations which the Government has accepted in full and fed into the 10-Year Health Plan.

The review specifically recommends that the patient safety commissioner is hosted by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. The office of the patient safety commissioner remains accountable to the Department, as it is now.

The Patient Safety Commissioner will play an important role in holding the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to account for its work on patient safety and in ensuring that patient safety and the voice of patients remains a core priority in the agency’s work.