Alison Bennett

The Government is fully committed to the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), which protects disabled people from discrimination in the workplace. The Act prohibits direct and indirect disability discrimination and requires employers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and applicants/candidates, to ensure that they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled colleagues.

On 29 January this year, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. Many of the panel are diagnosed or identify as neurodivergent and/or have familial experience alongside their professional experience and expertise. The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission and Acas have also published comprehensive guidance for employers on their obligations to disabled employees and job applicants under the 2010 Act and Acas provides a helpline for people who think they have experienced discrimination at work.

Every five years, a review is carried out of how honours are distributed across the different categories of activity in UK life and is reviewed by the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (HD Committee) before it is sent to The Sovereign for approval. This Quinquennial Review is guided both by priorities set by the Prime Minister and also changes to the population and sizes of workforces in each sector of the economy.

The most recent Quinquennial Review set out recommendations for the period of the Birthday Honours 2023 List to the Birthday Honours 2028 List (inclusive). The next review period will begin in 2026/27 for implementation in the New Year Honours 2029 List. The scope of this review has not yet been agreed but will be approved by the HD Committee in due course.

I have not discussed this with the Leader of the House. As announced in the policy paper ‘The fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture’, published on January 22, the Government will bring forward amendments to the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, in advance of longer-term reforms.

The SI will be laid when parliamentary time allows.

This Government is working to ensure we have a high-quality and professional construction industry, with consumer protection at the heart of this. TrustMark, sponsored by the Department and licenced by the Government, is the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme that covers work a consumer chooses to have carried out in or around their home. In addition, the Building Safety Act 2022 has introduced competence requirements for both individuals and businesses working in the built environment.

Any action that the Government takes on licensing to protect customers and standards needs to be robust, proportionate and evidence based.

Companies House does not have any plans to build a specific database for the purpose outlined.

Companies House is taking action to improve the quality of the information on the Register of Companies using powers made available by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.

The Act also provides for the compulsory identity verification of directors, persons with significant control and those acting on behalf of companies. This will ensure that consumers are able to more easily trace the previous appointments of company directors. The systems needed to enable the deployment of identity verification are currently being implemented.

There is a robust regulatory framework that addresses the health and safety risks associated with grid-scale battery storage. Specifically, the Health and Safety at Work Act and secondary legislation places legal duties on employers to manage risks to employees and anyone else who may be affected. It is the policy of the Health and Safety Executive to continue to review its regulatory framework to make sure it works in a time of innovation.

​​​The department introduced 140 newly reformed qualifications to be taught from the beginning of this academic year and just announced a further 27 newly reformed qualifications which it will fund from August 2026. This includes newly reformed alternative academic qualifications and new technical qualifications in health and social care and related areas such as science, that will sit alongside the T Level in health and related A levels. The department is withdrawing funding from unreformed qualifications in the same areas, so that students can benefit from the higher quality reformed alternatives.

​T Levels are out-performing other qualifications. Where a student wishes to study a large qualification in health they should undertake the T Level.

​We published an equalities impact assessment alongside the outcome of the review of qualifications reform. The review is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-level-3-qualifications-reform-equality-impact-assessment. The department expects the impact on the number of young people not in education, employment or training, to be mitigated by the availability of T Levels and other reformed qualifications. ​

​​​The department introduced 140 newly reformed qualifications to be taught from the beginning of this academic year and just announced a further 27 newly reformed qualifications which it will fund from August 2026. This includes newly reformed alternative academic qualifications and new technical qualifications in health and social care and related areas such as science, that will sit alongside the T Level in health and related A levels. The department is withdrawing funding from unreformed qualifications in the same areas, so that students can benefit from the higher quality reformed alternatives.

​T Levels are out-performing other qualifications. Where a student wishes to study a large qualification in health they should undertake the T Level.

​We published an equalities impact assessment alongside the outcome of the review of qualifications reform. The review is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-level-3-qualifications-reform-equality-impact-assessment. The department expects the impact on the number of young people not in education, employment or training, to be mitigated by the availability of T Levels and other reformed qualifications. ​

New electric vehicle salary sacrifice schemes for academy trusts are currently paused. Academy trusts with existing schemes have been able to keep them in place, but not expand them by adding new members. This pause is subject to a review about salary sacrifice schemes in the public sector and a decision on these schemes by HM Treasury. The department will inform academy trusts when a decision has been made, and the Academy Trust Handbook (ATH) will be updated accordingly. The ATH is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-handbook/academy-trust-handbook-2025-effective-from-1-september-2025.

Schools are expected to make reasonable efforts to cater for pupils with particular requirements, for example to reflect medical, dietary and cultural needs, to ensure they are not put at a substantial disadvantage in relation to accessing meals.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on governing bodies of maintained schools, proprietors of academies and management committees of pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils at their school with medical conditions, which may be food-related. Schools must therefore take appropriate action in supporting such pupils to access free school meals provision.

Statutory tests and assessments at primary school are an important part of ensuring that all pupils master the basics of reading, writing and mathematics to prepare them to achieve and thrive at secondary school. They are subject to robust test development processes, which include reviews involving teachers and experts in special educational needs (SEN). Schools can utilise a range of access arrangements where appropriate, and pupils should only take tests if, in the view of the head teacher, they are in a fit physical and mental state to do so.

Although it is important that schools encourage their pupils to do their best in the tests, the department does not recommend that pupils in primary school devote excessive preparation time to assessments, and not at the expense of pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. Schools should support a culture of wellbeing amongst staff and pupils, including for pupils with anxiety and SEN.

The decline of the barn owl is attributed to several factors including the loss of suitable habitat, which limits the availability of hunting grounds; the use of rodenticides; road traffic collision; and the loss of traditional nesting sites.

To address their decline nationally, agri-environmental schemes are supporting barn owls by the funding of habitat creation, such as rough grassland for hunting, and by supporting the provision of nest boxes in suitable locations.

Defra recognises the vital role smaller abattoirs play in supporting local livestock producers and maintaining a resilient and competitive food supply chain.

Defra works closely with the industry including through the Small Abattoirs Working Group and the Small Abattoirs Task and Finish Group. These groups bring together Government and industry representatives on a regular basis and provide a forum for identifying the challenges and opportunities that the sector faces, and for collaborating on practical solutions to support the sustainability of small and medium sized abattoirs. This includes issues such as regulation, efficiency and labour, to help ensure the sector remains viable and resilient.

The Government will continue to engage with stakeholders to help address the pressures facing small abattoirs and ensure they remain a vital part of a competitive, sustainable and locally rooted food supply chain.

The Government shares the public’s high regard for the UK’s environmental protections, food standards and animal welfare. This Government will uphold and protect our high environmental and animal welfare standards in future trade deals. We will promote robust standards nationally and internationally and will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage

All agri-food products must comply with our import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. This includes ensuring imported meat products have been slaughtered to animal welfare standards equivalent to our domestic standards

The Government recognises farmers’ concerns about imports produced using methods not permitted in the UK. We have been clear that we will use our Trade Strategy to support economic growth and promote the highest standards of food production.

We are seeking powers in the Home Office’s Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory enforcement guidance to help councils make full and proper use of their fly-tipping enforcement powers. These include fixed penalty notices of up to £1000, vehicle seizure and prosecution action which can lead to a significant fine or even imprisonment.

We have committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. We will provide further details on this commitment in due course.

Defra officials chair the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group through which we work with a wide range of stakeholders, including officials from the Department for Transport, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and devolved governments, to promote good practice on preventing fly-tipping. Various practical tools are available from their webpage which can be found at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group.

GB operates a pesticides regime based on assimilated EU law and continues to base decisions on the use of pesticides on careful scientific assessment. This includes maximum residue levels, which are set below, and usually well below, the level considered to be safe for people to eat.

Defra keeps the GB pesticides regulatory framework under continued review so that the regime is efficient and effective in ensuring pesticides will not harm human health or pose unacceptable risks to the environment.

The Government treats road safety very seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. My Department is developing our Road Safety Strategy and will set out more detail when possible.

In the Spending Review we announced that we are allocating £616 million for Active Travel England from 2026-27 to 2029-30 to support local authorities to build and maintain walking and cycling infrastructure, which can include segregated cycle lanes and lighting.

There are no current plans to introduce an NHS Railcard in advance of the transition to Great British Railways (GBR), but GBR will have the opportunity to take a fresh look at the justification of the eligibility and restrictions of some railcards. Any long-term changes or concessions made to rail fares policy requires balancing against the potential impacts on passengers and taxpayers.

The Minister for Local Transport’s considerations on the Lower Thames Crossing scheme are explained in the Decision Letter, published on the Planning Inspectorate website, and this sets out the proposed mitigations regarding habitats, including woodlands. The Honourable Member will understand that during the 6-week legal challenge period the Department is unable to comment in detail, but National Highways will be able to answer further questions about the scheme.

The Government takes road safety seriously, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. My Department has begun work on a new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade, and will share more details in due course.

The Government is listening closely to the concerns of those affected by tragic cases of death or serious injury on our roads.

The department has no plans to review the criteria for children with severe dietary conditions.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is available to children under the age of 16 who, due to a disability or health condition, have mobility issues and/or have care needs which are substantially in excess of a child the same age without the disability or health condition.

Entitlement to DLA depends on the extent to which a child needs help with personal care, needs supervision or has difficulties with walking. It is the effects of the condition and the needs arising from those effects that are important, rather than the child’s particular diagnosis.

It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.

The Department acknowledges there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those living in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation and receiving their housing support through Housing Benefit. The department will consider the issue carefully in partnership with stakeholders.

Like Universal Credit, Housing Benefit has an income taper. As Housing Benefit may be claimed by those both in work and out of work, there are no rules around the number of hours that someone may work; instead, there are income tapers which apply.

The income taper in Housing Benefit ensures people in work are better off than someone wholly reliant on benefits. In addition to any financial advantage, there are important non-financial benefits of working. These benefits include learning new skills, improved confidence and independence as well as a positive effect on an individual's mental and physical health. However, the treatment of earnings in Housing Benefit is less generous than that of Universal Credit. Therefore, although customers living in Supported Housing are better off working than doing no work at all, they can be financially better off limiting the hours they work to ensure they retain a small amount of Universal Credit entitlement.

Changing the current rules would require a fiscal event and funding at a Budget. As funding is required to allow a change, any future decisions will take account of the current fiscal context.

We are grateful to Liz Sayce for her Independent Review of earnings related overpayments of Carers' Allowance, who's findings we are now considering. We have made the highest ever increase to the Carers' Allowance earning limit, and are looking longer term at the feasibility of an earnings taper.

It is recognised that employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. To build on this, the Government has asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead “Keep Britain Working”, an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. The review is expected to produce a final report with recommendations in autumn 2025.

All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments in the workplace where a disabled person would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.

There has been research on the attitudes around homeworking from the DWP work aspirations project. It found that there were mixed attitudes towards homeworking.

The Office for National Statistics Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (2023) analysed homeworkers, including the prevalence of hybrid working. The survey found that having a disability or long-term condition had little effect on levels of homeworking. Disabled workers reported similar levels of homeworking only (18%) compared with non-disabled (16%). Workers who had a long-term condition for 12 months or more similarly reported homeworking at 18% compared with 15% without. The survey found that there was a difference for hybrid working - Disabled workers are significantly less likely to have hybrid working patterns (24%) compared to non-disabled workers (30%).

(a) As of November 2024, there were 652,752 individuals entitled to both Carer’s Allowance and Universal Credit in England and Wales.

(b) As of November 2024, there were 978,159 households with Carers Entitlement to Universal Credit in Great Britain, with 893,258 of these in England and Wales.

(c) The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

There are currently 11 officials assigned to work in the secretariat of the independent commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey. This secretariat may expand as the commission carries out its work, and as Baroness Casey considers what further skills and expertise she needs.

The Government is committed to tackling the unacceptable practice of corridor care in our National Health Service. Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June, set out steps we are taking, including the commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.

NHS England has been working with trusts since 2024 to put in place new reporting arrangements related to the use of temporary escalation spaces, to drive improvement. Subject to a review of data quality, this information will be published shortly, and we will consider how this data could be published on a more regular basis.

The Department commissioned a survey of infant feeding practices in England in 2021. Data collection was completed in 2024, and a report is being prepared for publication in autumn 2025. The Infant Feeding Survey approach is largely consistent with what the Optimal Infant Feeding Quantitative Data Framework article has proposed, including points in relation to feeding intentions, exclusive and any breastfeeding at key developmental points, particularly birth, two weeks, six weeks and six months, formula feeding, mixed feeding and introduction of solid foods. These indicators are in line with United Kingdom advice and consistent with requirements for comparison with international data set out by the World Health Organization.

The Department held discussions with the Devolved Governments to ensure comparable data where possible. The Department will consider the findings of the four nation Optimal Infant Feeding Data Framework project at the planning stage for further Infant Feeding Surveys.

It is important that all parents and caregivers receive accurate and unbiased information and support on infant feeding to help them make the right choice for them.

Most families will receive infant feeding information and support from midwives and health visitors. We are taking action to strengthen these services. We are taking further steps, including investing £18.5 million through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme in 2025/26, to improve infant feeding support across 75 local authorities in England. We are also investing in the National Breastfeeding Helpline which provides United Kingdom wide support.

Better Health Start for Life communications provide advice and support to parents and caregivers on infant feeding via a website, an email programme, and supporting literature for local authorities and healthcare professionals.

The Government is committed to ending new HIV transmissions in England by 2030 and is developing the new HIV Action Plan, which we aim to publish this year. The plan’s key objectives will include ensuring equitable access and uptake of HIV prevention programmes, improving quality of life for people living with HIV, and addressing stigma, and we are also considering how best to ensure mothers living with HIV can feed their children.

Whilst guidelines issued by professional bodies such as the British HIV Association are highly regarded in the provision of HIV care, these are non-mandated and it is the responsibility of local authorities to decide how best to implement the recommendations, in line with the needs of their local populations. The Government will continue to support local authorities through advice and guidance, informed by evidence, to ensure they provide the best possible HIV services to everyone and avoid stigma.