Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to ensure trans workers are not discriminated against on grounds of gender reassignment in the context of the High Court judgment in Good Law Project v EHRC [2026] EWHC 279 (Admin).
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
We are grateful for the clarity from the High Court’s judgment. We are clear that the laws to protect trans people from discrimination and harassment remain in place. Trans people continue to be protected on the basis of gender reassignment – a protected characteristic written into the Equality Act.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department taking to support the inclusion of Syrian youth and women in post-conflict reconstruction and decision-making processes, including funding for locally-led initiatives and civic empowerment programmes.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK regularly engages with the Syrian Government to press for an inclusive political transition that protects the rights of all Syrians, including women and young people. This was raised directly with President Al Sharaa during his visit to London on 31 March.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department plans to issue to employers on obligations under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 following the High Court judgment in Good Law Project v EHRC [2026] EWHC 279 (Admin).
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 cover a wide range of basic health, safety and welfare issues and apply to most workplaces. Employers and building owners have to provide suitable welfare facilities for all workers.
The Regulations and guidance provide minimum requirements in relation to those facilities. I understand that The High Court judgment is being appealed against, and it would not be appropriate to comment while legal proceedings are continuing. In general terms, employers and building owners do need to consider other requirements such as those in Building Regulations and associated Approved Documents for new buildings, as well as their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the three month relevant period for LCWRA on applications; and what the reason for that period is.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The LCWRA element will be paid from the start of the Assessment Period following the Assessment Period in which the ‘relevant period’ ended. This replicates the 13-week assessment period applied to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claims and is used to establish that the customer has a long-term health condition or disability.
Throughout the period before the award of the LCWRA addition, claimants will receive the applicable standard allowance plus any eligible additions, such as housing costs.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that the enrichment entitlement is received by young people in Leeds Central and Headingley constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government is committed to ensuring all young people across England can access a variety of enrichment opportunities at school and college as part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity.
To support delivery of the enrichment entitlement set out in the government’s response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, and the 'Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ schools White Paper, we are developing a new Enrichment Framework for publication this academic year. Developed with the department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and experts across education, youth, sports and the arts, the framework will set out benchmarks to help schools and colleges plan high-quality enrichment more intentionally and strategically and will include case studies and signposting to tools and resources.
We recognise schools and colleges cannot do this on their own and are putting in place support for wider provision including Music Hubs, and the £22.5 million programme developed with DCMS to support the enrichment offer of up to 400 schools in disadvantaged communities.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for Approved Driving Instructor Part 2 and Part 3 tests.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The two-year validity period of a theory test certificate, including for approved driving instructors (ADI), is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it. DVSA is recruiting additional examiners in its ADI team and has also increased its capacity to train new examiners.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has considered extending the validity period of theory test certificates for Approved Driving Instructor candidates whose certificates are at risk of expiring before they can sit the Part 2 test due to limited appointment availability.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The two-year validity period of a theory test certificate, including for approved driving instructors (ADI), is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it. DVSA is recruiting additional examiners in its ADI team and has also increased its capacity to train new examiners.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what analysis his Department has undertaken of the potential impacts of co-locating WECCS (waste-energy carbon capture and storage) with EfW (energy-from-waste) plants on regional energy systems and grid infrastructure, including any potential to reduce the need for new grid connections.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) is fundamental to the deep decarbonisation of industries such as EfW. CCUS is the only net zero compliant technology for many types of plants in the residual waste management sector.
The residential waste sector also has a high percentage of biogenic CO2, which if captured have the potential to create greenhouse gas removals.
CCUS technology requires energy to power the facility, and therefore the energy balance of an energy-from-waste (EfW) facility is expected to be impacted by the deployment of CCUS. These impacts will vary depending on the facility, notably whether the EfW facility is new or whether CCUS is being retrofitted on an existing site.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support employment opportunities in i) theatre, and ii) the television and film sector, in Leeds Central and Headingley constituency.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We want to boost opportunities and support so that people from across the country, including those in Leeds Central and Headingley, feel like a creative career is an option for them.
In the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we committed to delivering a refreshed UK-wide £9 million creative careers service. The government will partner with industry to equip the next generation of young people with the ambition and knowledge to work in the Creative Industries, including theatre and the television and film sector. The programme is designed to raise young people’s awareness of creative careers and pathways into them by providing specialist advice and information, and is designed in collaboration with employers to support young people from all backgrounds. This year, this included funding for UK Music and Music Local to hold a Music Careers Day and activities engaging young people in schools in Leeds, focussing on careers in the creative industries.
We are also supporting young people in the Leeds Central and Headingley constituency through Arts Council England funding. This funding enables organisations such as Leeds Playhouse, Red Ladder Theatre Company and British Youth Music Theatre to offer training, placements and development opportunities, while Leeds Heritage Theatres and Transform Festival provide work experience and skills relevant to theatre, TV and film careers
Our Creative Places Growth Fund will devolve £150m in total over 3 years to 6 Mayoral Strategic Authorities for them to distribute, according to local barriers and opportunities, including West Yorkshire. This will allow areas to maximise the impact of national interventions, including providing business support for local creative businesses, supporting regional skills initiatives to support job creation, innovation capacity building programmes, or by providing sector specific support such as TV and film production funds.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what Government support is available to young people in Leeds Central and Headingley constituency seeking careers in i) theatre and ii) the television and film sector.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We want to boost opportunities and support so that people from across the country, including those in Leeds Central and Headingley, feel like a creative career is an option for them.
In the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we committed to delivering a refreshed UK-wide £9 million creative careers service. The government will partner with industry to equip the next generation of young people with the ambition and knowledge to work in the Creative Industries, including theatre and the television and film sector. The programme is designed to raise young people’s awareness of creative careers and pathways into them by providing specialist advice and information, and is designed in collaboration with employers to support young people from all backgrounds. This year, this included funding for UK Music and Music Local to hold a Music Careers Day and activities engaging young people in schools in Leeds, focussing on careers in the creative industries.
We are also supporting young people in the Leeds Central and Headingley constituency through Arts Council England funding. This funding enables organisations such as Leeds Playhouse, Red Ladder Theatre Company and British Youth Music Theatre to offer training, placements and development opportunities, while Leeds Heritage Theatres and Transform Festival provide work experience and skills relevant to theatre, TV and film careers
Our Creative Places Growth Fund will devolve £150m in total over 3 years to 6 Mayoral Strategic Authorities for them to distribute, according to local barriers and opportunities, including West Yorkshire. This will allow areas to maximise the impact of national interventions, including providing business support for local creative businesses, supporting regional skills initiatives to support job creation, innovation capacity building programmes, or by providing sector specific support such as TV and film production funds.