Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase physical activity levels for women.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is dedicated to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, have access to high quality sport.

We want to break down the barriers that exist and prevent women and girls from being active including but not limited to kit, facilities, time and cost. This Girl Can, which recently celebrated its ten year anniversary, is an inspiring campaign that has promoted women’s sport, challenged prejudice and made clear that sport is for everyone.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Separately, as a government, we are investing £123 million in inclusive grassroots sport facilities that will support more women and girls to take part in the sports that they love.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support people living with a musculoskeletal condition to remain in work.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

MSK conditions are one of the leading conditions reported by people who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness in the UK, increasing by 34% between 2018/19 and 2023/24.

The ‘Get Britain Working’ white paper sets out government’s plans to reform employment, health and skills support to tackle rising economic inactivity levels including the £3.5m joint DWP, DHSC and NHS England ‘Getting It Right First Time’ MSK Community Delivery Programme which will work directly with ICBs to reduce MSK community waiting times, improve data and enable referral pathways to wider support services.

WorkWell sites also went live in 15 areas across England from October 2024, providing low intensity holistic support for health-related barriers to employment, and a single joined up gateway to existing local work and health service provision. By Spring 2026, WorkWell is expected to support up to 56,000 disabled people and people with health conditions, including MSK, to get into work and get on at work.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support young people living with a long-term health condition to find work.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government recognises that many people find health conditions and disabilities a barrier to employment. Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key.

Department for Work and Pensions currently provides young people aged 16-24, who are claiming Universal Credit, with labour market support through an extensive range of interventions at a national and local level. This support includes the Youth Employment Programme, Youth Hubs across Great Britain, and Youth Employability Coaches for young people with additional barriers to finding work. Youth Employability Coaches specifically work closely with Disability Employment Advisors to support those with disabilities and health conditions.

Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Education will also be launching a Youth Guarantee for all 18-21 year olds in England to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work, starting in eight Youth Trailblazer areas from this Spring.

There are a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals with health conditions to stay in work and get back into work, which involve joint working between Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Health and Social Care. Support includes Employment Advisers in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support programme for people with severe mental illnesses, and Intensive Personalised Employment Support programme aimed at disabled people with complex barriers to employment. In addition, Department for Health and Social Care’s Early Support Hubs also provide employment advice and broader mental health and wellbeing support to young people aged 11-25.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether an impact assessment was carried out on the impact of cuts to Official Development Assistance.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security, and official development assistance. Detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review on the basis of various factors including impact assessments.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of cuts to Official Development Assistance on (a) women and (b) children.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security, and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used, including our work supporting women and children, will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments.

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Found: Uma Kumaran Kirsteen Sullivan Kenneth Stevenson Anna Dixon Melanie Ward Laurence Turner Anneliese Midgley

Found: Haigh Layla Moran Wera Hobhouse Mr Lee Dillon Charlotte Nichols Sarah Dyke Steve Darling Anneliese Midgley

Found: Daniel Francis Mary Glindon Anna Dixon Melanie Ward Marsha De Cordova Laurence Turner Anneliese Midgley

Found: Uma Kumaran Kirsteen Sullivan Kenneth Stevenson Anna Dixon Melanie Ward Laurence Turner Anneliese Midgley

Found: Uma Kumaran Kirsteen Sullivan Kenneth Stevenson Anna Dixon Melanie Ward Laurence Turner Anneliese Midgley

Found: Uma Kumaran Kirsteen Sullivan Kenneth Stevenson Anna Dixon Melanie Ward Laurence Turner Anneliese Midgley

Found: Daniel Francis Mary Glindon Anna Dixon Melanie Ward Marsha De Cordova Laurence Turner Anneliese Midgley

Found: Uma Kumaran Kirsteen Sullivan Kenneth Stevenson Anna Dixon Melanie Ward Laurence Turner Anneliese Midgley

Found: Daniel Francis Mary Glindon Anna Dixon Melanie Ward Marsha De Cordova Laurence Turner Anneliese Midgley