theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the (a) vaccination status, (b) ethnicity, (c) travel history, (d) source of infection and (d) eligibility for NHS vaccine before infection diagnosed of children born in the UK that are aged between zero and five years old and have been diagnosed with tuberculosis. \p Ashley Dalton: Children are identified as a specific population group requiring actions in the joint UK Health Security Agency and NHS England plan, Tuberculosis (TB): action plan for England, 2021 to 2026, but there are no high-level indicators to report relating to TB in children as the number of infections and the rate of TB in children are low.

Enhanced surveillance involving rigorous data collection is carried out for all individuals with TB. For specific population groups where TB is more common, for example, those who have a social risk factor, detailed data analysis is presented in the Annual Reports for Tuberculosis in England, which are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tuberculosis-in-england-2024-report/tuberculosis-in-children-aged-0-to-17-years-england-2023

Indicators to monitor actions are identified in the joint plan, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tuberculosis-tb-action-plan-for-england/tuberculosis-tb-action-plan-for-england-2021-to-2026

In 2023, 102 out of 259, or 39.4% of, children under 18 years old notified with TB with a known country of birth, were born in the United Kingdom. In the group of children aged between zero and four years old, the proportion born in the UK was 80.4%, or 41 out of 51 individuals.

Data on ethnicity are not reported separately for children due to small numbers. Information about travel history and source of infection is not available for this age group.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination coverage for eligible children is captured as part of the Cover of Vaccination Evaluated Rapidly programme. The latest quarterly national data available is for infants at age three months for children, born between April and June 2024, and at age 12 months, born between July and September 2023. Measured at three months, coverage in England was 78.4% and measured at 12 months, it was 84.1%. The full data is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cover-of-vaccination-evaluated-rapidly-cover-programme-2022-to-2023-quarterly-data/quarterly-vaccination-coverage-statistics-for-children-aged-up-to-5-years-in-the-uk-cover-programme-january-to-march-2023

The eligibility criteria for BCG in the UK is a selective risk-based programme targeting children with a parent or grandparent born in a high incidence country or infants in areas of the UK with high TB incidence. Further information is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b645a2140f0b66875559e93/_Greenbook_chapter_32_Tuberculosis_.pdf
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Peter Dowd:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of concerns raised by the Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) stakeholder community on the speed of progress being made by the UK National Screening Committee in its work to start an in-service evaluation of screening for SMA in NHS services. \p Ashley Dalton: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is aware of the concerns raised by stakeholders. Plans for the in-service evaluation are being developed; however, its roll out and timeline will not be confirmed until after the 2025 Spending Review.
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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of AI-based auto contouring on radiotherapy waiting times. \p Ashley Dalton: No assessment has been made. However, the Department supports the National Health Service in reviewing opportunities to utilise artificial intelligence to transform performance, bring down waiting times, and support staff with their workload. We expect that radiotherapy treatment centres will use all appropriate technology for treating patients, to ensure that they receive the best possible care. This includes the use of artificial intelligence where available.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as reducing waiting times for diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology.
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Mrs Sharon Hodgson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of misdiagnosis of women’s health symptoms on levels of diagnosis of ovarian cancer in (a) all women and (b) women under the age of 50. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care of gynaecological conditions, including ovarian cancer. NHS England has taken urgent action to address gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Recovery Plan, including support for innovative care models that bring services closer to patients, and the piloting of gynaecology pathways within community diagnostic centres.

As a first step towards improving the diagnosis of ovarian cancer and reducing misdiagnosis, the National Health Service is now delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week. The NHS is also improving pathways to get people diagnosed once they are referred, including non-specific symptom pathways for patients who do not fit clearly into a single urgent cancer referral pathway. Combined, these interventions will help ensure early diagnosis and faster treatment, including for women with ovarian cancer, with further actions to be outlined in the forthcoming National Cancer Plan.

The most recent data available from the National Disease Registration Service shows that in England in 2022, 3,151 people were diagnosed with ovarian cancer at stages 3 & 4, which is classed as advanced.
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Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to review the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death process to speed up that process in (a) Boston and Skegness constituency and (b) the UK. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is monitoring the impact of the death certification reforms, which came into legal effect on 9 September 2024, through the Death Certification Strategic Board and a cross-Government data strategy group. Since the introduction of the reforms, the median time taken to register a death appears to have risen by two days, from seven days to nine days. This figure is for all deaths, as it includes those certified by a doctor and those investigated by a coroner. Working with the Office for National Statistics, weekly data is now published on the time taken to register a death by region and also by setting. This is supporting NHS England and the Welsh administration to offer support and challenges.

The median time taken to register a death varies depending on the type of certification. Deaths certified by a doctor, that comprise approximately 80% of deaths registered each week, have typically had a median time to registration of seven days, though there can be variation at a local level. It’s important to note that the medical examiner system was active on a non-statutory basis before the introduction of the statutory system on 9 September 2024, and this makes direct ‘before’ and ‘after’ comparisons challenging to draw conclusions from.

The introduction of medical examiners is in part about making sure deaths are properly described and improving practice, but the impact on the bereaved is also central. The reforms aim to put the bereaved at the centre of the process, and the medical examiner’s office must offer a conversation with representatives of the deceased, so they can ask any questions they have about the death or raise any concerns. Ensuring the system is appropriately resourced and works for all those who interact with it is crucial, and something we will continue to monitor with NHS England.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help support improvement in domiciliary care providers that have been issued with warning notices by the Care Quality Commission. \p Ashley Dalton: To ensure adult social care providers, including domiciliary care services, meet fundamental standards of quality and safety, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors, inspects, and regulates these services. All inspection reports on individual providers are made publicly available.

The CQC is continuing to make changes to the way it works and has set out four immediate actions and five foundational improvements, which are being implemented to help ensure that it is carrying out its regulatory work with the sufficient depth and frequency to be assured that the requirements of any warning notices are met as close to the required compliance date as possible. These priorities will also enable the CQC to address delays in the reporting on the quality and safety of care in all care services, including domiciliary care services, which will increase transparency for both providers and the public who use these services.

The CQC also signposts providers to the support that is available to help them improve, where shortfalls and breaches of regulation have been found. For example, Skills for Care have produced a Guide to Improvement to support providers that need to improve their rating.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of investing in mental health services to help tackle substance abuse. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government recognises the need for evidenced-based, high-quality drug and alcohol services, and will ensure that anyone with a substance use problem can access the help and support they need. To achieve this, we also recognise the vital need for high-quality integrated care for those with co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing the local need for alcohol and drug prevention and treatment in their area, and for commissioning services to meet these needs, whilst most mental health services in England are funded and commissioned by integrated care boards. There are currently no plans to change this arrangement, but we are working to promote more cohesive and joined up care between mental health and substance use services. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26, the Department is providing a total of £310 million in additional targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol services and recovery support, which includes housing and employment. Alongside this, for 2025/26, mental health spending is forecast to amount to £15.6 billion. This represents a significant uplift in real terms spending on mental health compared to the previous financial year. Integrated care boards are forecast to meet the Mental Health Investment Standard over the 2025/26 financial year, meaning that local health services will invest a greater share of their budgets into frontline mental health services.

In addition to continued investment, we intend to soon publish the Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Action Plan, which has been co-produced between the Department and NHS England. The action plan provides national commitments and calls to the sector on how the health system can improve delivery of joined-up, person-centred care across drug and alcohol treatment and mental health services.

Furthermore, the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities has published a Commissioning Quality Standard in 2022 which provides guidance for drug and alcohol treatment commissioners on improving services for people with co-occurring mental health and alcohol or drug conditions. This standard sets out that local services need to work together so that people can access the help they need for both their mental health and their alcohol or drug use.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with relevant authorities to prevent cocaine-related deaths in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England. \p Ashley Dalton: The increase in alcohol related deaths and those linked to cocaine usage is concerning. The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for evidenced-based, high-quality treatment to reduce the numbers of alcohol and drug related deaths.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing the local need for alcohol and drug prevention and treatment in their area, and for commissioning services to meet those needs. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26, the Department is providing a total of £310 million in additional targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol services and recovery support, which includes housing and employment. Havering Borough Council, of which Romford is a part, will receive £400,302 from this additional grant funding in 2025/26.

The Department has an action plan in place to reduce drug and alcohol-related deaths, which is currently being reviewed to ensure that it is grounded in the latest understanding of the drivers of drug and alcohol related deaths, and is responding to these. In 2024, the Department published guidance for local authorities and their partnerships on how to review adult drug and alcohol-related deaths and near-fatal overdoses to prevent future deaths.

Alongside the funding allocations, the Department has a range of existing and forthcoming best practice resources and guidance that supports those working in the sector to tailor drug and alcohol treatment services to meet local needs to improve treatment outcomes. The commissioning quality standard provides guidance to local authorities on how to ensure they have a shared understanding of local need, including the experiences of diverse populations. The commissioning quality standard can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-quality-standard-alcohol-and-drug-services

Later this year the Department will also be publishing the United Kingdom clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment, which will include recommendations on developing effective, accessible, and inclusive services. The aim of the guidelines is to promote and support good practice and improve the quality of service provision, resulting in better outcomes. The Department continues to work with all local areas to address unmet needs and drug and alcohol misuse deaths, and to drive improvements in the continuity of care. This includes the Unmet Need Toolkit, which can be used by local areas to assess local need and plan to meet it.
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Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department collects data on the number of people registered as organ donors who are (a) Sikh and (b) Jewish. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) manages transplant services across the United Kingdom, and this includes the operation of the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR).

NHSBT does not collect data on the religion of those on the transplant waiting list. The information available on annual activity and the current waiting list is captured in the NHSBT Annual Activity Report, available on the NHSBT organ donation and transplantation website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.odt.nhs.uk/

Individuals can choose to provide details of their faith or beliefs when registering on the ODR via the NHSBT webpage. Some sources of registration onto the ODR do not have an option to record or report religion. As of 29 April 2025, where religion was reported, there were:
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason cross-party talks on social care have not yet taken place. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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John Milne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) he and (b) the Minister for Public Health and Prevention will attend the Lobular Moon Shot Project's drop in on Tuesday 6 May 2025 to discuss research into lobular breast cancer. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of patients who are registered with each General Practice in Huntingdon constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the reduction in NHS waiting lists that took place between July and December 2024 was due to people (a) receiving the procedure they were on the waiting list for and (b) being removed from the waiting list because it was determined they no longer required the treatment. \p Karin Smyth: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Dr Simon Opher:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of self-care on demand on NHS services; and whether this will be reflected in the 10-Year Health Plan. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Mike Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve access to NHS services for deaf people. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Kirith Entwistle:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle health inequalities linked to the (a) diagnosis and (b) management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people came off an NHS waiting list without receiving treatment since September 2024; and what new (a) care pathways and (b) triaging policies his Department has introduced since July 2024. \p Karin Smyth: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Kirith Entwistle:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients in (a) Greater Manchester ICB and (b) England are waiting for an appointment with a specialist respiratory clinician following a referral from their GP. \p Karin Smyth: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to hold the first round of cross party talks on social care. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department last reviewed the level of penalties for (a) driving without insurance and (b) keeping a vehicle without insurance. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government keeps motoring offences under review, including those for driving uninsured. In respect to how many and what proportion of road traffic offences were committed by uninsured drivers, my Department does not hold this information.
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Euan Stainbank:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with prospective Sustainable Aviation Fuel producers on the viability of first mover projects. \p Mike Kane: Thirteen projects have been supported through the Advanced Fuels Fund, which aims to support first-of-a-kind sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production plants through the project pipeline to reach investment ready stage and achieve commercial scale. Ministers and officials engage regularly with stakeholders across the SAF industry including producers and investors.

The government is working at pace to introduce the legislation for the Revenue Certainty Mechanism in the first session of this Parliament and expects the legislation for the Revenue Certainty Mechanism to be in place by the end of 2026.

No final decisions have been made on the approach to contract allocation for support under the scheme. We will continue to assess how the delivery of the Revenue Certainty Mechanism can be accelerated by working with industry in parallel with legislative processes.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timetable is for making available land acquired by the Government for cancelled northern legs of HS2. \p Lilian Greenwood: My department is thoroughly reviewing the position we have inherited before setting out more detailed plans in due course, including future plans for HS2 Phase 2b safeguarding and a disposal programme for land and property acquired for HS2 that is no longer required. We expect to be able to provide further detail of our intended approach for Phase 2b safeguarding during the summer. Any land acquired for Phase 2 that is no longer required will be sold in line with Treasury rules through a disposal programme.
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David Baines:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of Personal Independence Payment recipients are in work in (a) St Helens North constituency, (b) St Helens Local Authority, (c) the Liverpool City Region and (d) nationally. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The proportion of working age Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants who are in work can be found in the table below.

Table 1: Working age Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants who are in work

Percentage in work

St Helens North Parliamentary Constituency

20%

St Helens Local Authority

20%

Liverpool City Region

19%

England and Wales

20%

Notes:
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Kirsty Blackman:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many (a) press, (b) media and (c) other communications posts there are in his Department; and what the salary band is for each post. \p Ian Murray: In the Scotland Office communications team, there are a total of 16 Full Time Equivalent Government Communication Service professionals.

Of this total, 5 work in the media discipline which covers press and media responsibilities.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department engages with the European Islamic Centre. \p Alex Norris: The department does not engage with the European Islamic Centre. The responsibility for decisions around who departments engage sits with the respective departments and the appropriate policy areas. We also refer the hon. member to the response provided by the Minister for Security during Oral Parliamentary Questions on 31st March 2025. Debate: Oral Answers to Questions - 31st Mar 2025 - Nick Timothy extracts.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant her Department's press release entitled Government calls ‘last orders’ on red tape choking pubs, clubs, and restaurants in major boost to the British night out, published on 4 April 2025, whether the strategic licensing powers for the Mayor of London will allow the Mayor to review, revoke or curtail existing premises licences. \p Jim McMahon: The government will work with the Greater London Authority to review strategic licensing powers and explore a pilot scheme, providing the Mayor of London with new powers over strategic licensing. The government and the Greater London Authority will work closely with local stakeholders to design the pilot scheme.
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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an exemption for Council Tax on properties that are temporarily unoccupied due to probate. \p Jim McMahon: When a property has been left empty following the death of its owner or occupant, it is exempt from council tax for as long as it remains unoccupied and until probate is granted. Following a grant of probate (or the signing of letters of administration), a further six months exemption is possible, so long as the property remains unoccupied and has not been sold or transferred to someone else.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of retrospective Community Infrastructure Levy requirements on small-scale development. \p Matthew Pennycook: Local planning authorities which have adopted the Community Infrastructure Levy are responsible for charging, collecting and administering the levy in their area, in line with legislation and with regard to guidance issued by government.

The levy is intended to provide a transparent and certain approach to the collection of developer contributions as developers, including smaller scale developers, should be made aware upfront of what they will be liable to pay and when it will become payable.

The government has not made an estimate of the number of retrospective CIL requirements on small-scale development.

However, we are committed to improving the existing system of developer contributions, including CIL. This includes considering any concerns about the operation of CIL, including in respect of retrospective planning applications, and the process for obtaining exemptions by people developing their own homes.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 41465 on Permitted Development Rights, whether local authorities are required to publish Article 4 Directions; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the absence of a central repository of Article 4 Directions on (a) householders and (b) developers. \p Matthew Pennycook: An assessment of the potential impact of the absence of a central repository of Article 4 Directions has not been undertaken. Householders and developers should check with their local authority whether an Article 4 Direction applies in a specific area.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to ensure Teignbridge District Council receives additional funding for the building of social homes. \p Matthew Pennycook: My Department published an update on targets in the 2021-26 Programme on 30 July 2024 which can be found on gov.uk here.

At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549).

The investment made at Spring statement follows the £800 million in new in-year funding which has been made available for the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme and that will support the delivery of up to 7,800 new homes, with more than half of them being Social Rent homes.

Exact funding to different places and the locations of homes that will be built will depend on the bids received from local authorities and housing associations. The government encourages social housing providers in all areas to come forward with bids for new ambitious projects, including those ready to commence quickly.

We will set out set details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that fire and rescue services have the expertise required to meet the regulatory requirements on that sector. \p Alex Norris: It is the role of Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRA) to hold Fire and Rescue Services to account. There are a number of different FRA governance models (for example mayoral authorities, Police Fire and Crime Commissioners and standalone FRAs). However, all areas are required to comply and pay due regard to relevant legislation and guidance.

All FRAs, are required to comply with including the Fire and Rescue National Framework for England and they are required annually to provide assurance to the government that they are meeting the requirements set out in the National Framework.
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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support is available from her Department to independent film production companies. \p Sir Chris Bryant: The Government has introduced the 53% Independent Film Tax Credit, which came into effect on 1 April, and is now seeing its first applications. This will incentivise British independent film production, and will create jobs, growth and investment across the country.

We also fund the British Film Institute (BFI)’s UK Global Screen Fund, with £7 million for 2025-26, to distribute and promote independent British screen content internationally.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_159

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of equal pay legislation and case law on levels of industrial action in local authorities. \p Dame Nia Griffith: As set out in the King’s Speech in July, the government is committed to making the right to equal pay effective for ethnic minority and disabled people. This measure will be part of the upcoming Equality (Race and Disability) Bill.

In delivering this commitment, we are giving close consideration on how to make the equal pay scheme work better for everyone. This will include any potential impact of changes to the equal pay scheme on local authorities.

To understand the challenges and find the appropriate solutions in developing this policy, we launched a 12 week call for evidence on a number of areas of equality law on April 7, which will close on 30 June.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_160

Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to help tackle misogyny against girls and young women. \p Dame Nia Griffith: There is no place for misogyny in our society, which too often leads to violence. Tackling this is a top priority for this Government, with a mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. We will deliver a cross-Government transformative approach, underpinned by a new strategy to be published in the summer.

Education has an important role to play in reducing misogyny. The Department for Education is reviewing the RSHE guidance to ensure that it supports schools to tackle harmful behaviour, as this Government is determined to ensure that misogyny and sexual violence is stamped out and not allowed to proliferate in schools, or elsewhere.

The Government is also taking steps to tackle misogyny online through the Online Safety Act, as large social media providers are required to have systems in place to remove illegal and harmful content such as misogyny. Ofcom is currently consulting on draft guidance which sets out nine areas where technology firms should do more to improve women and girls’ safety by taking responsibility.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_161

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 32140 on Candidates: Gender, whether she plans to consult the Parliamentary Parties Panel on this matter. \p Dame Nia Griffith: The Government is committed to commencing the Equality Act 2010’s provision requiring registered political parties to publish anonymised data relating to the diversity of their candidate selections.

Officials are exploring options to take to commence the provisions under section 106, including any consultation arrangements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_162

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of enabling opposite-sex couples to convert a civil partnership to marriage. \p Dame Nia Griffith: In 2019, when civil partnerships were made available for opposite-sex couples in England and Wales, the Government ran a public consultation on the future of conversion rights between marriage and civil partnerships for both opposite and same-sex couples in England and Wales.

This Government is considering all options, and we will update the House in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_163

Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle monopolistic practices in the technology sector. \p Justin Madders: On 1 January 2025 the Government implemented the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The Competition and Markets Authority now has new bespoke tools to address the market power of a small number of the largest technology firms and increase competition in digital markets. This will create opportunities for new entrants, allow existing firms to grow, encourage continued investment and innovation and lead to better outcomes for consumers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_164

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on ensuring that veterans with service-related (a) injuries and (b) mental health conditions are not disadvantaged by changes to PIP eligibility criteria. \p Al Carns: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are the lead Department regarding welfare reform. DWP and Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials continue to work closely to ensure that where DWP benefits interface with the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and War Pension Scheme, they are taken into consideration as work on welfare reform continues.

The Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper was published on 18 March 2025. This consultation sets out our vision, strategy, and proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support. It builds upon the foundations laid by the Get Britain Working White Paper in November 2024 and marks an important staging post in our journey of reform.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the views and voices of disabled people, people with health conditions, and veterans are at the heart of everything we do.

The Government recognises that service-related mental health conditions can differ significantly in presentation and impact from civilian experiences. It is essential that any future processes for assessment and support reflect that distinction and provide compassionate, informed, and appropriate care for veterans. We strongly encourage veterans and support organisations to engage with the consultation, so their voices are clearly heard.

Veterans who are resident in England can access specialist care for physical and mental health conditions via Op RESTORE and Op COURAGE respectively. Alternative provision is available in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as responsibility for health is devolved. Veterans UK, which is part of the Ministry of Defence, provides free support for veterans and their families, including a helpline, Veterans Welfare Service, Defence Transition Services and injury/bereavement compensation scheme payments.

I am committed to working together with colleagues in the DWP to ensure that our reforms result in a system that is fair, supportive, and responsive to the real needs of veterans.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-12 conversation_1

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether there is a limit on the number of ordinary written parliamentary questions that Rt hon. and hon. Members can table in hard copy on a sitting day. \p Nick Smith: There is no limit to the number of questions for ordinary written answer which a Member may table in hard copy on each sitting day (see Erskine May, 25th Edition, paragraph 22.4).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-12 conversation_2

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to protect people's data held by government departments. \p Feryal Clark: All Departments must adhere to the UK Data Protection legislation to protect personal data held by their departments. All departments are controllers of the personal data they hold and are individually responsible for demonstrating compliance with the data protection principles, and take appropriate technical and organisational measures in line with the UK GDPR. Under the same legislation, all departments are required to appoint a data protection officer (DPO), who must be an adequately resourced expert in data protection to monitor internal compliance, inform and advise on the department’s data protection obligations, provide advice regarding Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) and act as a contact point for data subjects and the Information Commissioner’s Office.

The DPO must be independent and report to the highest management level.

To reinforce cross government data sharing for consistent application of safeguards, the Government Digital Service runs the Data Sharing Network of Experts to bring together data protection and data governance professionals. There is also a cross government Data Protection Officers Network.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-12 conversation_3

Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what his Department's policy is on the personal use of IT equipment to access the internet through (a) desktops and (b) wifi by (i) staff and (ii) Ministers. \p Feryal Clark: All users within the department must adhere to our IT Acceptable Use Policy which details how departmental IT should be used. Departmental provided internet access, corporate IT and email services are intended for business use. Limited personal use is permitted where this is not detrimental to the department. All staff and ministers are accountable for their actions while using departmental IT.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-12 conversation_4

Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) applicant tracking systems and (b) artificial intelligence-based CV screening on the (i) fairness and (ii) accessibility of job applications. \p Feryal Clark: AI assurance is crucial to ensuring that AI systems are developed and deployed responsibly and safely. That is why we have designated AI assurance as a key pillar of support for meeting the commitments made in government’s response to the AI Opportunities Action Plan.

To help organisations address the potential risks associated with the use of AI in CV screening, DSIT published its ‘Responsible AI in Recruitment’ guidance in 2024, setting out good practice for the procurement and deployment of AI systems for HR and recruitment. DSIT also ran the Fairness Innovation Challenge, funding the development of novel solutions to address bias in AI systems. One of the winning projects focused on detecting and reducing bias in CV screening algorithms.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-12 conversation_5

Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a regulator for artificial intelligence. \p Feryal Clark: The vast majority of AI systems should be regulated at point of use and our expert regulators are best placed to do this. In response to the AI Action Plan, the Government committed to identifying capability needs for regulators to mitigate AI risks and drive growth.

The most advanced AI systems pose distinct opportunities and risks, and the Government is therefore developing legislative proposals to allow us to safely and securely realise the benefits of these systems. We are refining our proposals and will launch a public consultation in due course.