The government has no plans to amend the regulations on parish polls.

Despite record level of receipts in 2022 the average length of time taken for a grant of probate following receipt of the documents required has been maintained at between 5 and 8 weeks, which was similar to the average length of time in 2019, which was between 6 and 8 weeks.

HMCTS has increased resources to meet the higher demand following an increased number of estates requiring probate and is further increasing resourcing to further bring down overall timeliness on digital and paper applications.

Average waiting times for probate grants, are routinely published on gov.uk via Family Court Statistics Quarterly and currently cover the period up to December 2022.

The Probate offices closing in the past four years were:

2020: Birmingham District Probate Registry (DPR), Bristol DPR, Ipswich DPR and London DPR

2021: Manchester DPR

All Probate Sub Registries closed between December 2019 and January 2020.

These closures were completed in conjunction with the opening of new Courts and Tribunal Service Centre in Birmingham where the majority of the increased probate workforce is now based. The launch of the online system for probate applications has made the service more accessible for applicants and removed the need to travel to city centre locations to have their oath sworn as part of the process.

Despite record level of receipts in 2022 the average length of time taken for a grant of probate following receipt of the documents required has been maintained at between 5 and 8 weeks, which was similar to the average length of time in 2019, which was between 6 and 8 weeks.

HMCTS has increased resources to meet the higher demand following an increased number of estates requiring probate and is further increasing resourcing to further bring down overall timeliness on digital and paper applications.

Average waiting times for probate grants, are routinely published on gov.uk via Family Court Statistics Quarterly and currently cover the period up to December 2022.

The Probate offices closing in the past four years were:

2020: Birmingham District Probate Registry (DPR), Bristol DPR, Ipswich DPR and London DPR

2021: Manchester DPR

All Probate Sub Registries closed between December 2019 and January 2020.

These closures were completed in conjunction with the opening of new Courts and Tribunal Service Centre in Birmingham where the majority of the increased probate workforce is now based. The launch of the online system for probate applications has made the service more accessible for applicants and removed the need to travel to city centre locations to have their oath sworn as part of the process.

The sharp increase in small boat crossings and the pandemic has meant increased use of contingency accommodation to meet our legal duty to provide accommodation to destitute asylum seekers, which is costing the UK taxpayers almost £5million a day, every day.

The Home Office is looking at proposals to establish a new asylum accommodation centre at RAF Linton-On-Ouse, North Yorkshire. This would support our response to the increasing pressures on the UK asylum system.

Ministers have not taken any final decision to accommodate asylum seekers at RAF Linton. Should it be progressed, the site would provide safe and cost-effective accommodation to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute

We will be able to assess value for money once we have received firm bids for the provision of the service, but we anticipate being able to generate cost savings.

It would not be appropriate to comment further while planning is ongoing.

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of those being considered for accommodation at the proposed site in Linton-on-Ouse or other reception centre, an assessment would take place by the Home Office prior to allocation using suitability criteria. The factors that are currently considered when assessing the suitability of individual asylum seekers for particular accommodation is set out in the policy guidance ‘Allocation of Accommodation’. This policy guidance will be reviewed as part of any preparations to open the proposed asylum accommodation site in Linton-on-Ouse.

The welfare of all asylum seekers in our care is of the utmost importance. Were Linton-On-Ouse to be used to accommodate asylum seekers, we would employ a robust screening process which would involve an evidence-based assessment of suitability for entry to Linton-on-Ouse. Individual suitability would continue to be assessed at regular intervals.

Healthcare

We continue to work closely with NHS England and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in respect of the provision of health services at Linton-on-Ouse and the definition of health service provision and capacity is being led by the CCG. Experience and lessons learnt from Napier Barracks are being used by the CCG to identify health service provision requirements at the proposed development.

Healthcare at future reception centres will be developed using a similar approach.

Legal Advice

The site at Linton-on-Ouse is being designed to facilitate and support interaction between service users and their chosen legal advisors, whereby asylum seekers accommodated at Linton-on-Ouse will have the ability to access the support of legal representation, either face-to-face or remotely. Those with no legal representation will be sign- posted in seeking appropriate representation. The Home Office continues to liaise with colleagues in the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Agency to finalise the details of this provision at Linton-on-Ouse.

Access to legal advisors at future reception centres will be developed using a similar approach.

The proposed accommodation site in Linton-on-Ouse would be a contract change notice under the pre-established Asylum Accommodation Support Contract (AASC) for the North West region with Serco, to run for a period of two years, after which we intend to run a competitive commercial procurement process for a service supplier on that site.

For further accommodation centres, the Home Office would use a competitive and fair commercial procurement process for the provision of design, build or renovation and operation of national accommodation centres, including the subsequent service provision including management, maintenance and related works and services.

Healthcare

We continue to work closely with NHS England and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in respect of the provision of health services at Linton-on-Ouse and the definition of health service provision and capacity is being led by the CCG. Experience and lessons learnt from Napier Barracks are being used by the CCG to identify health service provision requirements at the proposed development.

Healthcare at future reception centres will be developed using a similar approach.

Legal Advice

The site at Linton-on-Ouse is being designed to facilitate and support interaction between service users and their chosen legal advisors, whereby asylum seekers accommodated at Linton-on-Ouse will have the ability to access the support of legal representation, either face-to-face or remotely. Those with no legal representation will be sign- posted in seeking appropriate representation. The Home Office continues to liaise with colleagues in the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Agency to finalise the details of this provision at Linton-on-Ouse.

Access to legal advisors at future reception centres will be developed using a similar approach.

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of those being considered for accommodation at the proposed site in Linton-on-Ouse or other reception centre, an assessment would take place by the Home Office prior to allocation using suitability criteria. The factors that are currently considered when assessing the suitability of individual asylum seekers for particular accommodation is set out in the policy guidance ‘Allocation of Accommodation’. This policy guidance will be reviewed as part of any preparations to open the proposed asylum accommodation site in Linton-on-Ouse.

The welfare of all asylum seekers in our care is of the utmost importance. Were Linton-On-Ouse to be used to accommodate asylum seekers, we would employ a robust screening process which would involve an evidence-based assessment of suitability for entry to Linton-on-Ouse. Individual suitability would continue to be assessed at regular intervals.

National planning policies already recognise the importance of sustainable development, and make clear that reducing carbon emissions should be considered in plan and decision making. The Government is considering how the planning system can further support our commitment to reaching net zero, including through the planning reform programme and the forthcoming Planning Bill. Our response to the Planning for the Future White Paper, setting out next steps on these reforms, will be published in due course.

The Government is satisfied that plans for road infrastructure are consistent with Net Zero and the UK's commitments under the Paris Agreement, matters which we keep under consideration. The upcoming Transport Decarbonisation Plan will set out a credible and ambitious pathway to deliver transport’s contribution to carbon budgets and meeting net zero by 2050.

My Lords, I recognise the concern that the loss of the Hull to Zeebrugge route has caused. My colleague the Maritime Minister, Robert Courts, met P&O Ferries on 15 December, when he raised the closure of the route. This is a commercial matter for P&O and, although the local impacts are very regrettable, I am satisfied that our national freight resilience has not been compromised.

As part of their comprehensive activation plans, each Nightingale team has been developing a clinical model that can be scaled up as and when additional capacity is required in the region. This ensures that the right skill mix of staff will be available from National Health Service trusts in the region and via NHS Professionals and through direct recruitment if required.

There are 120,607 full time equivalent doctors currently employed by the National Health Service in England.

As part of their comprehensive activation plans, each Nightingale team has been developing a clinical model that can be scaled up as and when additional capacity is required in the region. This ensures that the right skill mix of staff will be available from National Health Service trusts in the region and via NHS Professionals and through direct recruitment if required.

There are 295,193 full time equivalent nurses currently employed by the NHS in England.

The maximum number of Nightingale beds in Manchester is 633, in Sunderland it is 460 and in Harrogate it is 495 beds.

These numbers will augment existing critical care beds in each region to provide surge capacity.

All Nightingale hospitals have the ability to care for ventilated patients, however, clinical models can adapt to local need. The local clinical leaders will plan how to use the Nightingale capacity based on local conditions, considering the needs of all patients requiring National Health Service care.

The Government has published its immigration White Paper setting out the vision of the Future Border and Immigration System. To support publication of the Government’s proposals, an extensive engagement programme will be launched, which will contribute to the development of the new system.

Short-term business activity is crucial for the UK economy and we welcome a dialogue with private, public and voluntary sectors as well as industry representatives and international partners about the scope of permitted visitor activities and to better understand the needs of various sectors.

This government has been clear that we do not want exit with EU on the 29th March 2019 without a deal. Nevertheless, the government will continue to do the responsible thing and prepare for all eventualities.

As part of these preparations, the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport has held a series of ministerial roundtables with the creative sector on the impacts of the UK’s exit from the EU, which have been attended by representatives from the music industry, regarding touring musicians and crews in particular. The department will continue to build on this engagement with the sector and with other government departments as we prepare for exit to ensure that the impacts and opportunities of EU exit for the music sector is understood.

On 24th September 2018, to help businesses prepare for the key issues that were raised in these discussions, we published a technical notice entitled ‘Commercial road haulage in the EU if there’s no Brexit deal’.