Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the number of people using the £1,000 tax free allowance for (a) trading and (b) property income in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The tax-free allowances simplify the tax system and keep low levels of casual income out of taxation. Individuals with trading income or property income at £1,000 or below are not required to report the income and the use of allowances to HMRC through Self Assessment (SA). As a result, HMRC cannot provide a total estimate on the number of people using the allowances and the cost of the allowances.
More information on the tax free allowances can be found at:
Tax-free allowances on property and trading income - GOV.UK”
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the cost of the £1,000 tax free allowance for (a) trading and (b) property income in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The tax-free allowances simplify the tax system and keep low levels of casual income out of taxation. Individuals with trading income or property income at £1,000 or below are not required to report the income and the use of allowances to HMRC through Self Assessment (SA). As a result, HMRC cannot provide a total estimate on the number of people using the allowances and the cost of the allowances.
More information on the tax free allowances can be found at:
Tax-free allowances on property and trading income - GOV.UK”
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Environment Agency's job vacancy, Strategy and Government Relations Advisor, reference 32597, closing date 4 January 2026, what is his policy on public bodies hiring advisors to engage with the Government.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Environment Agency is a Non-Departmental Public Body, and does not form part of HM Civil Service. Non-Departmental Public Bodies are expected to engage with a range of stakeholders, including relevant Government departments, Parliamentarians across both Houses, Parliamentary Select Committees, and other key stakeholders pertinent to their work.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the report entitled Civil Service sickness absence, 2025 published on 16 December 2025, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of Civil Service (a) long-term and (b) short-term sickness rates.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Civil Service sickness absence data, published on 16 December 2025, indicates a rise in both long-term and short-term sickness absence across the Civil Service, both since the previous year and over the past decade.
(Source: Civil Service sickness absence data published on 16 December 2025)
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will exempt people over 80 from self assessment for taxes.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Many pensioners will pay tax via PAYE and some will receive a Simple Assessments from HMRC. Generally only those with more complex affairs may need to do a Self Assessment. We have no plans to change this.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Your Party - Coventry South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the use of non-medical clinical practitioners in primary care on patients’ ability to see a fully qualified doctor; and what steps he is taking to ensure newly qualified doctors are able to obtain appropriate posts within the NHS.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We hugely value the unique work carried out by general practitioners (GPs). The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure that the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it.
GPs remain at the heart of general practice and primary care. However, there is a wide range of clinicians who are well suited to providing care in general practice as part of a multi-disciplinary team. For example, a patient with osteoarthritis might benefit from seeing a physiotherapist. In relation to physician assistants (still legally known as physician associates), Professor Leng’s recent review was clear that, with changes in line with its recommendations, there remains a place for these roles as supporting, complementary members of medical teams, including in general practice.
The Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) provides funding for a number of additional roles, to help create bespoke, multi-disciplinary teams. All these roles are in place to assist general practice doctors in reducing their workload and assisting patients directly with their needs, allowing doctors to focus on more complex patients and other priorities, including continuity of care.
The Government has highlighted its commitment to GPs, and since October 2024, we have funded primary care networks with an additional £160 million to recruit recently qualified GPs through the ARRS. Over 2,600 individual GPs have now been recruited, preventing them graduating into unemployment. This was a measure to respond to feedback from the profession and to help solve an immediate issue of GP unemployment.
Over ten million more general practice appointments have been delivered in the 12 months to September 2025 compared to the same period last year, building capacity for continuity of care and improving access so that patients can be seen when they need to be in primary care.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
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 adequacy of training for people performing (a) newborn hearing tests and (b) audiology testing in children.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Newborn Hearing Screening in England for babies before the age of 12 weeks is part of the nationally approved commissioned screening services. The services are monitored by the Screening Quality Assurance Service (SQAS) to ensure they meet national standards. The SQAS undertakes a continuous improvement cycle of pathway reviews and onsite quality assurance visits to identify areas for improvement across antenatal and newborn screening programmes where a concern is identified, involving appropriate professional clinical advisors from each screening discipline to support the process. Continuous performance data monitoring of services and representation at screening governance boards by the SQAS and commissioners supports this process and there is ongoing targeted work with services identified as needing improvements.
There are no nationally approved screening hearing services for children over 12 weeks of age.
For clinical referrals, integrated care board commissioners are responsible for ensuring NHS Audiology services meet the needs of patients and that they are delivered to the appropriate quality.
My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, commissioned the recently published, independent Kingdon review of children’s hearing services in England. Twelve recommendations were made, including focus on commissioning, governance, data and training amongst others. No assessment has yet been made of the potential implications on policies for the recommendations. We are progressing an early analysis of implementation requirements for the recommendations, including resource.
Staff working in newborn hearing screening services are required to achieve the training standards set out in national guidance, and regional commissioners work with services to assure compliance with both minimum staffing levels and training requirements.
Audiologist training is supported via pathways including the Scientist Training Programme and Higher Specialist Scientific Training programmes. NHS England has undertaken a skills survey across services to assess current capacity and training needs. Support has been put in place for training to ensure practitioners meet nationally agreed standards. This work will provide targeted support to strengthen delivery, and ensure safe, consistent care for children and families.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve audiology screening for (a) children and (b) newborns.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Newborn Hearing Screening in England for babies before the age of 12 weeks is part of the nationally approved commissioned screening services. The services are monitored by the Screening Quality Assurance Service (SQAS) to ensure they meet national standards. The SQAS undertakes a continuous improvement cycle of pathway reviews and onsite quality assurance visits to identify areas for improvement across antenatal and newborn screening programmes where a concern is identified, involving appropriate professional clinical advisors from each screening discipline to support the process. Continuous performance data monitoring of services and representation at screening governance boards by the SQAS and commissioners supports this process and there is ongoing targeted work with services identified as needing improvements.
There are no nationally approved screening hearing services for children over 12 weeks of age.
For clinical referrals, integrated care board commissioners are responsible for ensuring NHS Audiology services meet the needs of patients and that they are delivered to the appropriate quality.
My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, commissioned the recently published, independent Kingdon review of children’s hearing services in England. Twelve recommendations were made, including focus on commissioning, governance, data and training amongst others. No assessment has yet been made of the potential implications on policies for the recommendations. We are progressing an early analysis of implementation requirements for the recommendations, including resource.
Staff working in newborn hearing screening services are required to achieve the training standards set out in national guidance, and regional commissioners work with services to assure compliance with both minimum staffing levels and training requirements.
Audiologist training is supported via pathways including the Scientist Training Programme and Higher Specialist Scientific Training programmes. NHS England has undertaken a skills survey across services to assess current capacity and training needs. Support has been put in place for training to ensure practitioners meet nationally agreed standards. This work will provide targeted support to strengthen delivery, and ensure safe, consistent care for children and families.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he expects to publish the findings of the responsible business conduct review.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Soon.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the condition of the primary care estate in England; and what proportion of GP premises are currently rated as (a) good, (b) requiring improvement, and (c) unfit for purpose.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no separate assessment of general practice (GP) premises as part of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) assessments of practices. The CQC’s Premises Regulations, primarily Regulation 15, mandate that care locations must be clean, suitable, secure, and properly maintained, ensuring safety for users. As of 15 January 2026, in England there are 5,520 GP surgeries rated as Good, 256 rated as Requires Improvement, and 20 rated as Inadequate. five locations have yet to be rated.
The Government recognises the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects, such as new facilities, significant upgrades, or other targeted capital investments.
In May, we announced schemes which will benefit from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund to deliver upgrades to more than a thousand GP surgeries across England this financial year. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care.
NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to integrated care boards (ICBs). This process is independent of the Government, and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA). The most recent allocations take into account an ACRA-recommended change specifically focused on rurality.
ICBs are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, GP services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. The NHS has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient medical services, including general practices, in each local area. It should take account of population growth and demographic changes.