Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of visa applications under the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme are determined within eight weeks in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
UKVI are currently assessing Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (UPE) visas within the published processing times. Information on visa processing times can be found at Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK
Average processing times do not form part of any current transparency data for Ukraine Extension Permission applications and are not published.
A range of processing data including case outcomes on Ukraine visa applications, can be found at: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK and Migration transparency data - GOV.UK
Resourcing arrangements are flexible across all visa routes, with decision-makers deployed to different areas at different times of the year. This enables UKVI to meet peaks in demand and operate efficiently throughout the operational year.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken is to determine a visa extension under the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
UKVI are currently assessing Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (UPE) visas within the published processing times. Information on visa processing times can be found at Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK
Average processing times do not form part of any current transparency data for Ukraine Extension Permission applications and are not published.
A range of processing data including case outcomes on Ukraine visa applications, can be found at: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK and Migration transparency data - GOV.UK
Resourcing arrangements are flexible across all visa routes, with decision-makers deployed to different areas at different times of the year. This enables UKVI to meet peaks in demand and operate efficiently throughout the operational year.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what resource has been allocated to administer the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme in financial year (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
UKVI are currently assessing Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (UPE) visas within the published processing times. Information on visa processing times can be found at Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK
Average processing times do not form part of any current transparency data for Ukraine Extension Permission applications and are not published.
A range of processing data including case outcomes on Ukraine visa applications, can be found at: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK and Migration transparency data - GOV.UK
Resourcing arrangements are flexible across all visa routes, with decision-makers deployed to different areas at different times of the year. This enables UKVI to meet peaks in demand and operate efficiently throughout the operational year.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take with Cabinet colleagues to help increase access to NHS dentistry in rural areas in (a) the next 12 months and (b) during this Parliament.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Dental Statistics - England 2024/25, published by NHS Business Services Authority on 28 August 2025, is available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202425
The data for the Dorset Integrated Care Board (ICB), which includes the North Dorset constituency, shows that 34% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months up to June 2025, compared to 40% in England, and that 53% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months up to June 2025, compared to 57% in England.
We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural areas.
We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available since April 2025.
ICBs are recruiting dentists through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following website:
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the provision of NHS dentistry in North Dorset constituency compared to the national average.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Dental Statistics - England 2024/25, published by NHS Business Services Authority on 28 August 2025, is available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202425
The data for the Dorset Integrated Care Board (ICB), which includes the North Dorset constituency, shows that 34% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months up to June 2025, compared to 40% in England, and that 53% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months up to June 2025, compared to 57% in England.
We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural areas.
We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available since April 2025.
ICBs are recruiting dentists through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following website:
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of people have an NHS dentist in (a) urban (b) suburban and (c) rural areas in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Patients in England are not registered with a National Health Service dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. Some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements.
Data is not held on the percentage of people who have an NHS dentist and data is not available by urban, suburban, and rural areas. Dental Statistics - England 2024/25, published by NHS Business Services Authority on 28 August 2025, is available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202425
In the 24 months to June 2025, 40% of adults in England saw an NHS dentist, and in the 12 months to June 2025, 57% of children in England saw an NHS dentist. In 2024/25, there were 50 dentists per 100,000 population on average across all ICBs in England.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support is available to families who are hosting Ukrainian citizens who need to extend their visas under the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme in financial year (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Sponsors/hosts of Homes for Ukraine guests are eligible for a thank you payment of £350 a month for the duration of a guests’ Homes for Ukraine visa period and for 18-months of the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme visa period.
The extension of thank you payments for 18-months of UPE provides time for guests and sponsors/hosts to plan for next steps, including securing independent accommodation if needed. Alternatively sponsors/hosts and guests may want to consider converting to a lodging arrangement and making use of the Government’s Rent a Room scheme. Where sponsors/hosts charge rent, they will not be eligible to receive a thank you payment.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the OBR has cost the public purse for each year since it was established.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) was established by the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011. Its annual report and accounts, which are laid before Parliament and published on its website, set out in detail the OBR’s expenditure and funding for each year since its establishment.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff have been employed by the OBR in each year since it was established.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) was established by the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011. Its annual report and accounts, which are laid before Parliament and published on its website, set out detail on the number of staff employed at the end of March in each year.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the official closing date under section 14 of the Inquiries Act 2005 was for the public inquiries entitled (a) Robert Hamill Inquiry and (b) Billy Wright Inquiry.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Section 14(1) of the Inquiries Act 2005 sets out that for the purposes of the Act, an Inquiry comes to an end either:
(a) on the date, after the delivery of the report of the inquiry, on which the chairman notifies the Minister that the inquiry has fulfilled its terms of reference, or
(b) on any earlier date specified in a notice given to the chairman by the Minister.
In the case of the Robert Hamill Inquiry, the original Inquiry Chair, Sir Edwin Jowitt, advised the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP, on 25 February 2011, that the Inquiry Panel had fulfilled its Terms of Reference. However, following announcement by the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland in December 2010 of criminal proceedings against three individuals on charges of perverting the course of justice, it was agreed that the Inquiry Report would not be published or submitted to the Secretary of State until the conclusion of those legal proceedings. At that point, the Report was placed in a secure independent location, only accessible to the Inquiry Chair, Secretary and Solicitor. These legal proceedings have now concluded. A new Chair, Sir John Evans, was appointed on 7 October 2024 due to Sir Edwin unfortunately being unable to continue in the role. Steps are now being taken to publish the report.
The Billy Wright Inquiry report was published on 14 September 2010 with the Inquiry Chair, Lord MacLean, advising the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP on 12 December 2010 that the Inquiry had fulfilled its Terms of Reference in line with section 14 of the Inquiries Act 2005.