The government recognises that the demand for data centres is growing, reflecting their critical importance to the economy, public services and national security. This is placing increasing demands on the national grid, and we are taking steps to ensure that development is supported by sufficient energy infrastructure. We have established the AI Energy Council where we work with industry to enable data centre growth and manage challenges to the energy system. We are working with Ofgem, NESO and DESNZ to manage speculative applications for data centre connections, and ensure that network infrastructure can be built in the right places to support demand.

We remain focussed on reducing the number of asylum cases awaiting an initial decision.

The Home Office continues to invest in a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives to speed up decision making and reduce the time people spend in the asylum system. This will enable us to maximise our capacity and progress cases in a more efficient and cost-effective way.

Over 70% of asylum claims received in Q3 2025 have been decided within 6 months, the highest percentage since Q1 2016. Decision output continues to exceed asylum intake helping us to reduce waiting times for initial asylum decisions. This demonstrates that the steps we have already taken to streamline the asylum process and increase our efficiency are paying off and shows that we are building an asylum system that is efficient and sustainable.

In January 2023 the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) changed the terms and conditions for the online business service (OBS), used by driving instructors and trainers to book and manage practical driving tests for their pupils, to help prevent anyone from selling tests at profit. In 2023 and 2024, the DVSA issued 352 warnings, 751 suspensions, and closed 743 business accounts for misuse of its booking service.

On 6 January 2025, DVSA introduced further terms and conditions for use of the service. From January 2025 to 11 May 2026, DVSA issued 337 warnings, 648 suspensions, and closed 669 business accounts.

Between April 2025 and 11 May 2026, for accounts that were suspended, there were 24,495 live test bookings linked to those accounts, at the point of suspension. For the same period, for accounts closed, there were 12,874 live test bookings linked to those accounts, at the point of closure. Please note that, prior to April 2025, DVSA did not hold the number of test appointments that existed at the point of warning, suspension or closure for any given business account.

DVSA has now taken further steps, including on 12 May removing access to OBS for the booking, changing and swapping of car driving tests and moving to a learner-only booking model through the Internet Booking Service. Where it detects activity that does not look like normal personal use, DVSA can suspend online access for 12 months meaning a driving test cannot be booked, changed, cancelled or rebooked online.

Since the changes to the booking system on 12 May, 6,799 suspensions have been applied and 1,310 tests have been cancelled.

Through the Health Transformation Programme, we are expanding digital services for Personal Independence Payment customers. Over 90% of those making new PIP applications can now submit their health information online after starting their claim by phone. This is benefitting customers by removing postage times and increasing accessibility. We are continuing to extend this option to all customers and, by the end of the Programme, customers will be able to view application progress and report a change of circumstances online, reducing their need to call the enquiry line.

The Government has not written to each local planning authority in the last 12 months to remind them that charges for pre-application advice should not exceed cost-recovery and has no plans to do so.

Planning Practice Guidance already makes clear that local planning authorities may charge for discretionary services, including pre-application advice, under section 93 of the Local Government Act 2003, but that such charges should not exceed the cost of providing the service.

The government recognises concerns raised by young people who contributed to Alan Milburn's interim review of the rise in the number of 16 to 24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Many reported submitting large numbers of job applications but receiving either no response or only automated rejections.

The government is considering these concerns and will respond to any recommendations arising from Alan Milburn's final review once it is published.

The government is not aware of any jurisdiction that legally requires employers to respond individually to every job application and has no current plans to introduce such a requirement. However, applicants may wish to request feedback from employers where appropriate. Employers must also comply with their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and must not unlawfully discriminate during recruitment or selection processes.

The government recognises concerns raised by young people who contributed to Alan Milburn's interim review of the rise in the number of 16 to 24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Many reported submitting large numbers of job applications but receiving either no response or only automated rejections.

The government is considering these concerns and will respond to any recommendations arising from Alan Milburn's final review once it is published.

The government is not aware of any jurisdiction that legally requires employers to respond individually to every job application and has no current plans to introduce such a requirement. However, applicants may wish to request feedback from employers where appropriate. Employers must also comply with their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and must not unlawfully discriminate during recruitment or selection processes.

The government recognises concerns raised by young people who contributed to Alan Milburn's interim review of the rise in the number of 16 to 24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Many reported submitting large numbers of job applications but receiving either no response or only automated rejections.

The government is considering these concerns and will respond to any recommendations arising from Alan Milburn's final review once it is published.

The government does not collect data on job applications. Recruitment practices, including whether unsuccessful candidates are notified about the outcome of their application, are matters for individual employers. Employers must, however, comply with their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and must not discriminate unlawfully during recruitment or selection processes.

The majority of visa applications are decided within published processing times. Further information on the visa processing times: applications inside and outside the UK is available at Visa processing times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK and Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK which is regularly updated.

All visa applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis and some cases require longer consideration, for example where further information is required before a decision can be made. Where this is the case, applicants are contacted to advise them that their application is taking longer than the published processing time.

If an application has exceeded the published processing time and the applicant has not been contacted, they are advised to seek assistance through https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk .

Statistics on UK Visas and Immigration applications are published in table VSI_03 Migration Work-In-Progress on GOV.UK in the publication 'Visas, status and immigration data: April to June 2026', as part of the Migration Transparency Data. The information displayed goes back to 2019.

The VSI_03 Migration Work-In-Progress data table provides data on the volume of overseas and in-country applications received and output for each route, performance against service standards for each route, and the number of applications that remain outstanding (work in progress).