Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department plans to take to improve rail accessibility via its consultation entitled A railway fit for Britain's future, published on 18 February 2025.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Accessibility is a priority for this Government and will be for Great British Railways (GBR), and we are committed to delivering a rail system which allows disabled people to travel easily, confidently and with dignity. The consultation states this, with accessibility listed as one of our six objectives. The consultation also includes proposals for a powerful passenger watchdog, with an explicit role on accessibility, that will act as a strong advocate for passengers. The proposed watchdog will have the ability to monitor how services are delivered to disabled passengers, escalate concerns to the regulator for enforcement, and could have a role in setting standards.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that ethnic minority women are adequately represented in research on maternity care.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR’s Research Inclusion Strategy 2022-2027 sets out how NIHR will become a more inclusive funder of research and widen access to participation in clinical trials for under-represented groups, such as pregnant women and ethnic minorities. In addition to these priorities, the NIHR will specifically consider intersectionality, recognising that multiple social identities overlap to exacerbate the experience of inequities.

In March 2024, the NIHR launched a £50 million ‘Challenge’ funding call for research to tackle inequalities in maternity care, bringing together experts from across the country into a new consortium. The research carried out by the consortium will focus on inequalities before, during, and after pregnancy, and will identify specific areas where measurable improvements can be made.

Furthermore, the NIHR is currently funding two studies focussed on ensuring ethnic minority women are adequately represented in research on maternity care. The first aims to co-produce a toolkit or guidance which can be used to improve the inclusion of women from ethnic minority backgrounds in maternity research. The second aims to develop a guide to support research nurses and midwives to effectively communicate maternal and neonatal healthcare research opportunities to back women.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of maternal health, including research on improving the representation of women from ethnic minority backgrounds in research on maternity care.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to introduce exemptions or adjustments to National Insurance Contributions for social enterprise nurseries.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has taken a number of difficult but necessary decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to fix the public finances, fund public services, and restore economic stability after the situation we inherited from the previous administration.

The Government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all next year.

Early years providers play a crucial role in driving economic growth and that is why we have committed to delivering the expansion of government-funded childcare and opening 3,000 new school-based nurseries in this parliament. At the Budget, the Chancellor announced that total funding will rise to over £8 billion in 2025-26 to support providers. On top of this, the Department for Education confirmed an additional £75 million of funding in 2025-26 to support the sector deliver the final phase of expanded childcare entitlements from September 2025, alongside a further £25 million to support childcare for disadvantaged children through the early years pupil premium.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of incoming stamp duty thresholds on first-time buyers in (a) London and (b) other high cost areas.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is an important source of Government revenue, raising around £12 billion each year to help pay for the essential services the Government provides.

In September 2022, the previous Government announced a change to the level at which first time buyers start paying SDLT from £300,000 to £425,000, with the purchase price limit for accessing the relief set at£625,000. These changes were made temporary in November 2022. After the rates reverted on 1^st April 2025, first time buyers can still benefit from paying no SDLT up to £300,000 and will be able to claim relief on purchases up to £500,000.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the higher rates of SDLT for additional dwellings were increased by two percentage points from three per cent to five per cent. This will ensure that those looking to purchase their first property or move home have a greater advantage over second home buyers, landlords, and companies purchasing residential property.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost to the NHS of missed appointments by children and young people with cancer due to unaffordable travel costs.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of their local communities are met, including providing support for travel.

The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional.

Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also a number of charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.

The Department has not made an estimate of the potential cost to the NHS of missed appointments by children and young people with cancer due to travel costs. On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The Taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The Taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will introduce a fund to support young cancer patients and their families in access to treatment and care.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of their local communities are met, including providing support for travel.

The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional.

Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also a number of charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.

The Department has not made an estimate of the potential cost to the NHS of missed appointments by children and young people with cancer due to travel costs. On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The Taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The Taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) his Department and (b) the National Institute for Health Research have commissioned (i) research and (ii) evaluation on systemic racism in maternity services.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR Research Inclusion Strategy 2022-2027 sets out how the NIHR will become a more inclusive funder of research and widen access to participation in clinical trials for under-represented groups such as pregnant women and ethnic minorities. In addition to these priorities, the NIHR will specifically consider intersectionality, recognising that multiple social identities overlap to exacerbate the experience of inequities.

The NIHR is actively supporting research to address disparities and improve equity in maternity services, including projects focussed on racism and its impact on maternal health. For example, the NIHR has supported research to understand how multiple inequalities, including racism, shape postnatal mental health among Black Caribbean and Black African women. The NIHR is also funding a study which is undertaking a wider exploration of the harms that health and social care services can cause the African-Caribbean communities in the United Kingdom. This study will explore how health researchers can work more positively with people of African-Caribbean heritage; to start having conversations about the harms that health and social care services can cause to these communities and determine how research and practice in this area can improve.

In addition, in March 2024, the NIHR launched a £50 million ‘Challenge’ funding call for research to tackle inequalities in maternity care bringing together experts across the country into a new consortium. The research carried out by the consortium will focus on inequalities before, during and after pregnancy and identify specific areas where measurable improvements can be made.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of maternal health, including research on systemic racism in maternity services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of British Airways' recent performance on the UK-Ghana route.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

British Airways operate direct routes between the UK and Ghana from London Gatwick Airport and London Heathrow Airport.

UK aviation operates in the private sector, and airlines are responsible for ensuring they reach an acceptable level of performance for their passengers.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) publishes flight punctuality statistics and is responsible for ensuring the industry meets relevant regulatory requirements.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) reduce racial disparities in the (i) experiences, (ii) levels of satisfaction and (iii) care outcomes of women during (A) antenatal, (B) labour and (C) postnatal care.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Monitoring and utilising data and evidence is crucial to making evidence-based improvements to our maternity services. Data collected on the ethnic backgrounds of women experiencing adverse maternity outcomes can help identify areas that require targeted interventions and improvements in maternal and neonatal care. Monitoring the incidence and rate of adverse outcomes is a crucial step in implementing evidence-based strategies to preventing and mitigating such incidents.

Data on a woman’s ethnic background is collected by services at various points on her maternity journey. National Health Service trusts are incentivised to collect this information, and levels of completeness are high, with 95% of women who gave birth in 2023/24 having had their ethnic group recorded. This information is used to identify differences in care pathways and outcomes experienced by women from different ethnic backgrounds.

For example, Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK (MBRRACE-UK) reports the shocking disparity in maternal mortality rates for black and Asian women compared with white women. MBRRACE-UK has also performed a confidential enquiry into the care of black and Asian women who have experienced a stillbirth or neonatal death. These reviews include recommendations for improvements in clinical processes and policy that may reduce ethnic inequalities in adverse maternity outcomes.

Monitoring the experiences women have of different aspects of maternity care is also crucial. The Care Quality Commission conducts an annual survey that asks pregnant women and new mothers about their experience of NHS maternity services. The 2024 survey found that women who reported their ethnicity as ‘Indian’, ‘Pakistani’ and ‘any other White background’ reported poorer experiences of maternity care, specifically around not feeling listened to and not receiving help during their antenatal and postnatal care. These insights inform local and national interventions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department collects on the (a) racial and (b) ethnic backgrounds of women experiencing adverse maternity outcomes; and how that data is used to inform policy on maternity care services.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Monitoring and utilising data and evidence is crucial to making evidence-based improvements to our maternity services. Data collected on the ethnic backgrounds of women experiencing adverse maternity outcomes can help identify areas that require targeted interventions and improvements in maternal and neonatal care. Monitoring the incidence and rate of adverse outcomes is a crucial step in implementing evidence-based strategies to preventing and mitigating such incidents.

Data on a woman’s ethnic background is collected by services at various points on her maternity journey. National Health Service trusts are incentivised to collect this information, and levels of completeness are high, with 95% of women who gave birth in 2023/24 having had their ethnic group recorded. This information is used to identify differences in care pathways and outcomes experienced by women from different ethnic backgrounds.

For example, Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK (MBRRACE-UK) reports the shocking disparity in maternal mortality rates for black and Asian women compared with white women. MBRRACE-UK has also performed a confidential enquiry into the care of black and Asian women who have experienced a stillbirth or neonatal death. These reviews include recommendations for improvements in clinical processes and policy that may reduce ethnic inequalities in adverse maternity outcomes.

Monitoring the experiences women have of different aspects of maternity care is also crucial. The Care Quality Commission conducts an annual survey that asks pregnant women and new mothers about their experience of NHS maternity services. The 2024 survey found that women who reported their ethnicity as ‘Indian’, ‘Pakistani’ and ‘any other White background’ reported poorer experiences of maternity care, specifically around not feeling listened to and not receiving help during their antenatal and postnatal care. These insights inform local and national interventions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that maternity healthcare professionals receive training on (a) unconscious bias and (b) culturally competent care.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Taking action to tackle racism experienced by both staff and patients is essential to providing safe services for everyone. It is right that the National Health Service takes proactive steps to address prejudice and discrimination where it exists across the NHS workforce.

NHS England is ensuring maternity healthcare professionals receive training on unconscious bias and culturally competent care through the Core Competency Framework and the provision of the Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety in Maternity Services e-learning course. Equity-focused leadership development is being embedded through the national Perinatal Culture and Leadership Programme.

In June 2023, NHS England published an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Improvement Plan, which sets out targeted actions to address prejudice and discrimination in the NHS workforce. The plan seeks to increase accountability for all leaders in delivering improvements, and to create an environment that eliminates the conditions in which bullying, discrimination, harassment, and physical violence at work occur.

For maternity services specifically, all local areas, including those in urban and rural areas, are required to equip staff to provide culturally competent care through their local Equity and Equality Actions plans, such as by providing appropriate training to staff for their local population.   NHS England is also developing a respectful and inclusive maternity care toolkit which aims to improve access, experiences, and outcomes for service users and to support staff to provide culturally sensitive care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the quality of maternity care for women from Black and Asian backgrounds.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is unacceptable that there are inequalities for women and babies. It is a priority for the Government to make sure that all women and babies receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity.

NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services sets out how the National Health Service will make maternity and neonatal care safer, more personalised, and more equitable for women, babies, and families. A central component of this is action to tackle and reduce inequalities, to deliver consistency in access, experiences, and outcomes. Through this plan, all local areas now have Equity and Equality Action Plans in place, which set out tailored interventions that tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic backgrounds and those living in the most deprived areas. All trusts are also now implementing Version 3 of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, which provides maternity units with guidance and interventions to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and preterm birth. It also includes initiatives to tackle factors that also drive worst outcomes, for example reducing smoking in pregnancy.

However, further action is needed, and ministers in the Department are working closely with NHS England, and the wider sector, to identify the right actions and interventions that will deliver the required change. Part of this will be setting an explicit target to close the black and Asian maternal mortality gap and drive the change we need to see.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that Black, Asian, and other minority ethnic women receive equitable access to high-quality maternity care in (a) areas with significant health inequalities and (b) other areas.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is unacceptable that there are such inequalities for women and babies. It is a priority for the Government to make sure that all women and babies receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity.

The National Health Service’s Three-Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services sets national measures to improve maternity and neonatal services by making care more personalised and equitable. A key objective within the plan is to reduce inequalities for all in maternity access, experience, and outcomes, to improve equity for mothers and babies. As part of the plan, all local areas have published Equity and Equality Action Plans, which set out tailored interventions that will tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic backgrounds and for those living in the most deprived areas. Trusts are also implementing Version 3 of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, which provides maternity units with guidance and interventions to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and preterm birth.

The Department continues to work closely with the NHS as it delivers these initiatives.

The Department is also considering what longer term action can be taken to tackle disparities in outcomes and experiences for black, Asian, and minority ethnic women. This includes working closely with NHS England, and the wider sector, to identify the right actions and interventions that will deliver the required change.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that maternity services (a) are free from racial discrimination and (b) effectively meet the needs of women from all ethnic backgrounds.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Taking action to tackle racism experienced by both staff and patients is essential to providing safe services for everyone. It is right that the National Health Service takes proactive steps to address prejudice and discrimination where it exists across the NHS workforce.

NHS England is ensuring maternity healthcare professionals receive training on unconscious bias and culturally competent care through the Core Competency Framework and the provision of the Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety in Maternity Services e-learning course. Equity-focused leadership development is being embedded through the national Perinatal Culture and Leadership Programme.

In June 2023, NHS England published an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Improvement Plan, which sets out targeted actions to address prejudice and discrimination in the NHS workforce. The plan seeks to increase accountability for all leaders in delivering improvements, and to create an environment that eliminates the conditions in which bullying, discrimination, harassment, and physical violence at work occur.

For maternity services specifically, all local areas, including those in urban and rural areas, are required to equip staff to provide culturally competent care through their local Equity and Equality Actions plans, such as by providing appropriate training to staff for their local population.   NHS England is also developing a respectful and inclusive maternity care toolkit which aims to improve access, experiences, and outcomes for service users and to support staff to provide culturally sensitive care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to culturally appropriate maternity care for women from diverse ethnic backgrounds in (a) urban and (b) rural areas.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Taking action to tackle racism experienced by both staff and patients is essential to providing safe services for everyone. It is right that the National Health Service takes proactive steps to address prejudice and discrimination where it exists across the NHS workforce.

NHS England is ensuring maternity healthcare professionals receive training on unconscious bias and culturally competent care through the Core Competency Framework and the provision of the Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety in Maternity Services e-learning course. Equity-focused leadership development is being embedded through the national Perinatal Culture and Leadership Programme.

In June 2023, NHS England published an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Improvement Plan, which sets out targeted actions to address prejudice and discrimination in the NHS workforce. The plan seeks to increase accountability for all leaders in delivering improvements, and to create an environment that eliminates the conditions in which bullying, discrimination, harassment, and physical violence at work occur.

For maternity services specifically, all local areas, including those in urban and rural areas, are required to equip staff to provide culturally competent care through their local Equity and Equality Actions plans, such as by providing appropriate training to staff for their local population.   NHS England is also developing a respectful and inclusive maternity care toolkit which aims to improve access, experiences, and outcomes for service users and to support staff to provide culturally sensitive care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that culturally competent (a) midwifery and (b) obstetric training is available in the NHS; and how his Department assesses the effectiveness of these steps.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is a priority for the Government to make sure that all women and babies receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity. To deliver this, it is important that those working in maternity and neonatal services receive the required training needed to deliver culturally competent care.

While it is the responsibility of employers in the health system to ensure that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver safe and effective treatment for patients, NHS England is taking steps to ensure that maternity healthcare professionals receive training on unconscious bias and culturally competent care through the Core Competency Framework and through provision of the Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety in Maternity Services e-learning course. Over 15,400 maternity staff have completed the e-learning module, which supports staff to better understand and meet the needs of diverse communities.

NHS England has also embedded equity-focused leadership development through the Perinatal Culture and Leadership Programme. All 150 maternity and neonatal units in England have participated in the programme. No assessment has been made on the effectiveness of these steps.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) ensure that data collection on maternity care outcomes is disaggregated by ethnicity and (b) reduce gaps in this data.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Data on a woman’s ethnic background is routinely collected by services at multiple points throughout maternity care. This data is used to disaggregate reporting of adverse outcomes, like maternal mortality, by ethnicity. Differences by ethnicity are also reported as part of the Care Quality Commission’s annual survey, which asks a sample of pregnant women and new mothers about their experience of National Health Service maternity services.

NHS trusts are incentivised to collect this information through the Maternity Incentive Scheme, which is a financial incentive program designed to enhance maternity safety within NHS trusts. Safety Action 2 of the Maternity Incentive Scheme incentivises trusts to submit digital information, including ethnicity data, to the Maternity Services Data Set.

The levels of completeness are high, and gaps are rare. 95% of women who gave birth in 2023/24 had their ethnic background recorded.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support local maternity services to tackle racial disparities; and whether his Department monitors the compliance of these services with guidelines on (a) equality and (b) anti-discrimination.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Health Service’s Three-Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services sets national measures to improve maternity and neonatal services by making care more personalised and equitable. A key objective within the plan is to reduce inequalities for all in maternity access, experience, and outcomes, seeking to improve equity for mothers and babies. As part of the plan, all local areas have published Equity and Equality Action Plans, which set out tailored interventions that will tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic backgrounds and those living in the most deprived areas. Equity and Equality Action Plans are published online to ensure public accountability.

NHS England has published technical guidance to monitor compliance and to determine the success measures that are used to monitor the outcomes and progress in achieving the key objectives of the plan. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/three-year-delivery-plan-for-maternity-and-neonatal-care-technical-guidance/

The Department is also considering what longer term action can be taken to tackle disparities in outcomes and experiences for black, Asian, and minority ethnic women. This includes working closely with NHS England, and the wider sector, to identify the right actions and interventions that will deliver the required change.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the impact of (a) housing, (b) income, (c) access to education and (d) other social determinants of health on maternal health outcomes for ethnic minority women.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to addressing the stark inequalities for women and babies, so that everyone can receive the high-quality care they deserve regardless of their background, circumstance, or ethnicity.

The Department is working with NHS England, other Government departments, and the wider sector to identify and embed the right actions and interventions that will help deliver improvements. For example, we are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to develop non-statutory guidance to support the implementation of Awaab’s Law from October 2025. This law introduces additional hazards, such as excess cold, which increase health risks for pregnant women, as well as for unborn and born children.

To find new ways to tackle maternity disparities, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, funded by the Department, launched the first challenge on maternity inequalities in March 2024. Over the subsequent five years, funding of up to £50 million will be made available to develop research and evidence that will drive action to reduce maternity inequalities and improve outcomes for women.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of recording actual rents on the new Private Rented Sector Database.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Private Rented Sector Database will support local authority enforcement action, help landlords understand their legal obligations and give tenants the information they need to make informed choices before entering into a tenancy agreement.

We intend for the Database to collect information about landlords and whether their rental property complies with key health and safety information.

In addition to data about the ownership and standard of PRS properties, we are considering the feasibility and merits of recording a wider range of data, including rent levels.

We will stipulate the specific requirements in regulations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has completed an equality impact assessment on its consultation proposals entitled A railway fit for Britain's future, published on 18 February 2025.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Equality impacts are being considered throughout the policy development process and as we prepare the required legislation. Feedback from the consultation will also inform our assessments.

An Equality Impact Assessment will be published alongside the broader Impact Assessment when the legislation is introduced, in line with standard practice and requirements.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will add public interest duties to her Department’s open consultation entitled A railway fit for Britain's future, published on 18 February 2025.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The consultation is clear that Great British Railways (GBR) will run our rail infrastructure and passenger services in the public interest. The consultation has not specified GBR’s exact duties and functions, and we welcome views on these. All responses to the consultation will be considered ahead of introduction of the forthcoming Railways Bill.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to increase awareness of legal aid services for people entering the asylum process.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice has undertaken a comprehensive review of civil legal aid and recently concluded a consultation on uplifts to housing & debt and immigration & asylum legal aid fees, which when implemented, would inject an additional £20 million into the sector each year. We are currently reviewing consultation responses and will publish the Government’s response in due course.

Migrant Help will signpost users to the Legal Aid Agency. Legal aid applicants can use the ‘Find a legal aid adviser’ search tool on GOV.UK to access a list of legal aid solicitors near them: Find a legal aid adviser or family mediator (justice.gov.uk). They can also contact the Civil Legal Advice Helpline, who will provide contact details for legal aid providers.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to increase access to legal aid for people entering the asylum process.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice has undertaken a comprehensive review of civil legal aid and recently concluded a consultation on uplifts to housing & debt and immigration & asylum legal aid fees, which when implemented, would inject an additional £20 million into the sector each year. We are currently reviewing consultation responses and will publish the Government’s response in due course.

Migrant Help will signpost users to the Legal Aid Agency. Legal aid applicants can use the ‘Find a legal aid adviser’ search tool on GOV.UK to access a list of legal aid solicitors near them: Find a legal aid adviser or family mediator (justice.gov.uk). They can also contact the Civil Legal Advice Helpline, who will provide contact details for legal aid providers.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to publish information on profits made by Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts providers (a) Serco, (b) Mears and (c) Clearsprings through those contracts.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The providers of the Home Office’s Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts are held to account on their performance against an agreed set of key performance indicators throughout the course of each contract to ensure that the taxpayer receives value for money, and that the standards of service required by the department are met.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking through (a) recruitment and (b) retention practices to ensure the diversity of the maternity healthcare professional workforce.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Decisions about recruitment are matters for individual National Health Service employers. NHS England’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion plan, published in 2023, includes a commitment to embed fair and inclusive recruitment processes and talent management strategies that target under-representation and lack of diversity.

It is important that the NHS workforce feels valued and well supported. NHS England is leading on a range of initiatives to boost the retention of existing staff, including building a compassionate and inclusive culture.

Targeted retention work for midwives is being undertaken by NHS England and led by the Chief Nursing Officer. This includes a midwifery and nursing retention self-assessment tool, mentoring schemes, and targeted efforts to improve the diversity of the workforce through four nationally run programmes to develop staff from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to support prisoners leaving prisons with drug addiction.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Ministry of Justice works closely with the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England to ensure that people leaving prison with a drug or alcohol problem stay in treatment and can get the support they need to recover from addiction.

To support prison leavers to continue their recovery journey in the community, we have Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators nationwide, who strengthen links between prisons, probation and treatment providers. We also have secure laptops across the prison estate to enable prisoners to meet with community treatment providers virtually, prior to release, and the Probation Notification Actioning Project makes probation aware of prison leavers who have been referred to community treatment, so they can support them to engage with treatment.

We have also established the new Drug and Alcohol Recovery Expert Panel, where panel members with wide-ranging expertise will help to identify ways to strengthen our approach.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, What assessment she has made of the potential impact of revoking the windfall tax on oil and gas companies on the revenues of the exchequer.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

In its manifesto the Government committed to make changes to the Energy Profits Levy (EPL) to raise revenue towards clean energy goals, including raising the rate of the levy from 35% to 38% and extending the duration of the levy until 31 March 2030. Following confirmation of these changes at Autumn Budget 2024, the EPL is now due to end by 31 March 2030, or earlier if oil and gas prices fall consistently below the price thresholds set by the Energy Security Investment Mechanism. The OBR’s latest forecast published at Spring Statement 2025 indicates that the levy will generate £13.5 billion in receipts between 2024-25 and 2029-30, on top of £7.4bn already raised since the levy’s introduction.

Following a period of change and uncertainty, the government is committed to providing long-term certainty to the oil and gas sector over the future fiscal regime and published a consultation on 5 March exploring the design of a new permanent mechanism for responding to price shocks once the EPL ends.

Government is committed to delivering clean power by 2030 and will work in tandem with the private sector to unlock investment and deliver new clean infrastructure. Our Contracts for Difference scheme has driven significant investment in renewable energy generation. The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan sets out proposed reforms to ensure the scheme can support the volumes of capacity needed whilst minimising costs to consumers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking with (a) NHS England and (b) healthcare professionals to ensure that patients from ethnic minority backgrounds are able to discuss any concerns they may have on the potential impact of (i) cultural and (ii) racial bias; and what steps he is taking to improve the experiences of patients who raise those concerns.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that racial health inequalities are linked to broader socioeconomic factors. Tackling these inequalities is central to building a fairer health system where outcomes are not dictated by race or background.

Community-led approaches, including peer support and culturally sensitive social prescribing, are integral to preventing poor health outcomes and improving self-management. These will be key features of the upcoming 10-Year Health Plan.

The NHS Framework for Action on Inclusion Health is advancing improvements in culturally competent and trauma-informed care, ensuring services are responsive to the needs of ethnic minority groups and other marginalised populations.

As raised in last year’s health inequalities public board report, the National Health Service has also established the NHS Race and Health Observatory to better understand and address the stark health inequalities experienced by black and minority ethnic communities. Further information on last year’s health inequalities public board report and the NHS Race and Health Observatory is available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/annual-report-on-nhs-englands-work-on-healthcare-inequalities-and-the-nhs-race-and-health-observatory-2/

https://www.nhsrho.org/about-us/

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has had discussions with (a) the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and (b) NHS stakeholders on the potential impact of the Data (Use and Access) Bill on protections for personal health data.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Secretary of State meets regularly with Health Ministers to discuss a range of topics. The Secretary of State has not met with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to specifically discuss impacts of the Data (Use and Access) Bill on protections for personal health data. Ministers have held discussions on the Bill with a wide range of stakeholders, including NHS stakeholders, providing opportunities to emphasise that the Bill does not impact on existing protections for personal health data. An impact assessment for the Bill can be found here.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of revoking the windfall tax on oil and gas companies on trends in the level of future renewable investment.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

In its manifesto the Government committed to make changes to the Energy Profits Levy (EPL) to raise revenue towards clean energy goals, including raising the rate of the levy from 35% to 38% and extending the duration of the levy until 31 March 2030. Following confirmation of these changes at Autumn Budget 2024, the EPL is now due to end by 31 March 2030, or earlier if oil and gas prices fall consistently below the price thresholds set by the Energy Security Investment Mechanism. The OBR’s latest forecast published at Spring Statement 2025 indicates that the levy will generate £13.5 billion in receipts between 2024-25 and 2029-30, on top of £7.4bn already raised since the levy’s introduction.

Following a period of change and uncertainty, the government is committed to providing long-term certainty to the oil and gas sector over the future fiscal regime and published a consultation on 5 March exploring the design of a new permanent mechanism for responding to price shocks once the EPL ends.

Government is committed to delivering clean power by 2030 and will work in tandem with the private sector to unlock investment and deliver new clean infrastructure. Our Contracts for Difference scheme has driven significant investment in renewable energy generation. The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan sets out proposed reforms to ensure the scheme can support the volumes of capacity needed whilst minimising costs to consumers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that ethnic minority women are adequately represented in the development of national maternity care (a) policies and (b) guidelines.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is unacceptable that there are stark inequalities for women and babies. It is a priority for the Government to make sure that all women and babies receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity.

We recognise the importance of ethnic minority women being adequately represented within the development of policies and guidelines. Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships are one such forum in place that ensures these voices are at the heart of the decisions made in maternity and neonatal services. These partnerships listen to the experiences of women and families, and bring together service users, staff, and other stakeholders to plan, review, and improve maternity and neonatal care. At a local level, 27% of Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships leads are from ethnic minority groups. NHS England has provided support to improve the ethnic diversity of Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships.

NHS England also has in place a National Service User Voice Group, which informs the development of national maternity care policies and guidelines. 35% of NHS England’s National Service User Voice Group leads for maternity and neonatal care are from an ethnic minority group.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to ensure that (a) all and (b) ethnic minority women have effective access to (i) postnatal care, (ii) mental health support and (iii) support for new mothers.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Health Service’s Three-Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services sets national measures to improve maternity and neonatal services through all stages of pregnancy and beyond. Measures include making care more personalised and equitable, covering both physical and mental health, and extending postnatal care and support for new mothers.

There is now a range of postnatal and mental health support, as well as broader support available for new mothers. For example, all women who have given birth should be offered a check-up with their general practitioner (GP) six to eight weeks after giving birth. The check-up will cover a range of topics such as mental health, physical recovery, breastfeeding, and support with family planning. This check provides an important opportunity for women to be listened to by their GP in a discreet, supportive environment, to provide personalised postnatal care for their physical and mental health.

NHS England is also rolling out perinatal pelvic health services and maternal mental health services to support women with the physical and mental impact of birth. Bespoke mental health pathways support women who experience mental health difficulties as a result of labour. These services are provided through specialist perinatal mental health services, maternal mental health services, and mother and baby units.

As part of the plan, all local areas have now also published Equity and Equality Action Plans, setting out tailored interventions that will tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic backgrounds and those living in the most deprived areas.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the emissions reductions required in transport to deliver the sixth carbon budget.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As the UK’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, decarbonising transport will play an important role in meeting economy-wide carbon budgets. Transport emissions reduced by 10% between 2019 to 2023, but emissions must fall faster to achieve our legal targets. The Government will deliver an updated delivery plan for meeting legislated carbon budgets later this year, with policy detail for all sectors provided up to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure the revised sixth carbon budget plan reduces economic inequality and poverty.

Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Decarbonising the UK economy and scaling up clean energy industries brings an opportunity to reduce regional inequalities by creating new, high skill jobs in our industrial heartlands. Delivering net zero also means improving the energy performance of homes – the support provided through the Warm Homes Plan helps tackle fuel poverty and supports those struggling most with their energy bills. The Government considers the impact on inequality of each policy in our plans through Public Sector Equality Duty assessments. We will also deliver an updated plan that sets out the policy package out to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037 in due course.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what legal advice she has sought on the UK's military assistance to the US in Yemen.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Law Officers’ Convention applies to advice which may or may not have been given by the Law Officers, or requested of the Law Officers, and the Convention applies to your question.

The Law Officers’ Convention can be found at paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May:

“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, with reference to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023, whether the CPS has updated its case management system to flag joint enterprise cases for detailed manual assessment.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

In early 2024, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) updated its case management system to enable a new national ‘flag’ to be applied to prosecutions for homicide and attempted homicide brought on a joint enterprise basis. Each prosecution also now receives an enhanced level of supervision from a case management panel, chaired by a senior legal manager.

The CPS will publish a report on the monitoring data collected during the 2024/25 financial year in the summer.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what mechanisms (a) her Department and (b) the Civil Aviation Authority have to hold airlines to account on (i) passenger rights and (ii) compensation for (1) delays and (2) cancellations on (A) intercontinental flights (B) flights between the UK and Ghana.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Regulation (EC) 261/2004 (‘Regulation 261’) is the UK legislation that sets out passenger rights around assistance, refunds and compensation in the event of long delays and cancellations.

Regulation 261 applies to flights departing from a UK airport, regardless of the airline. It also applies to flights arriving in the UK on an EU or UK airline.

The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for enforcing Regulation 261.

Government is committed to working with industry and stakeholders to ensure consumers continue to have a high level of protection whilst travelling by air.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with British Airways on (a) passenger rights and (b) compensation for (i) delays and (ii) cancellations on UK-Ghana flights.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Regulation (EC) 261/2004 (‘Regulation 261’) is the UK legislation that sets out passenger rights around assistance, refunds and compensation in the event of long delays and cancellations.

Regulation 261 applies to flights departing from a UK airport, regardless of the airline. It also applies to flights arriving in the UK on an EU or UK airline.

The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for enforcing Regulation 261.

Government is committed to working with industry and stakeholders to ensure consumers continue to have a high level of protection whilst travelling by air.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with British Airways on (a) the scheduling, (b) route changes and (c) operational decisions impacting UK-Ghana flights.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

DfT officials hold regular discussions with airlines, airports and international partners, including Ghana, to facilitate global connectivity. Routes operated, and the management of those routes, are commercial decisions made freely by airlines as an independent business. As these are commercial decisions, the DfT has not had any discussions with British Airways on the management of its UK-Ghana route. The UK Civil Aviation Authority would undertake any discussions with British Airways if the airline was not meeting any of its regulatory requirement standards.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with British Airways on (a) the management of its UK-Ghana route, (b) service standards and (c) passenger experience.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

DfT officials hold regular discussions with airlines, airports and international partners, including Ghana, to facilitate global connectivity. Routes operated, and the management of those routes, are commercial decisions made freely by airlines as an independent business. As these are commercial decisions, the DfT has not had any discussions with British Airways on the management of its UK-Ghana route. The UK Civil Aviation Authority would undertake any discussions with British Airways if the airline was not meeting any of its regulatory requirement standards.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of British Airways' operational decisions on UK-Ghana business and tourism links.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

DfT officials hold regular discussions with airlines, airports and international partners, including Ghana, to facilitate global connectivity. Routes operated, and the flights on those routes, are a commercial decision made by airlines. As this is a commercial decision, the DfT has not undertaken any assessment on British Airways' operational decisions on its UK-Ghana service. The UK-Ghana Air Services Agreement provides opportunity for growth in UK-Ghana market.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the affordability of flights between the UK and Ghana.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The UK aviation industry operates in the private sector, and each airline is responsible for setting its own fare structures, within a competitive market. However, they must be transparent about what the ticket price includes, helping passengers to make informed decisions about booking flights that meet their needs.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with her Ghanaian counterparts on bilateral aviation agreements to improve connectivity and competition on the UK-Ghana route.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

DFT officials met with their Ghanian counterparts in August 2024 and agreed an updated UK-Ghana Air Service Agreement. The new Air Service Agreement enables further connectivity between the two countries as a result of the extension of traffic rights. The updated ownership and control provisions within the agreement also widens the potential for airline investment and the opportunity for airlines to enter the market resulting in increased competition on the UK-Ghana route.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging increased airline competition on the UK-Ghana route.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

DFT officials met with their Ghanian counterparts in August 2024 and agreed an updated UK-Ghana Air Service Agreement. The new Air Service Agreement enables further connectivity between the two countries as a result of the extension of traffic rights. The updated ownership and control provisions within the agreement also widens the potential for airline investment and the opportunity for airlines to enter the market resulting in increased competition on the UK-Ghana route.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to promote educational exchanges between the UK and Ghana.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Over the last 40 years, the Government's Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarship programmes have funded Masters-level education for almost 2,500 Ghanaian nationals at UK universities. This support allows talented and motivated Ghanaians to gain knowledge and skills in areas such as education, health and STEM subjects. The British High Commission in Accra hosts an annual Young Leaders Summit on International Youth Day to highlight the UK's role in promoting educational exchanges in Ghana, to support the development of young leaders. The UK-Ghana Science Technology and Innovation strategy also recognises and celebrates dozens of university-to-university partnerships operating across the two countries.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what initiatives his Department is supporting to strengthen cultural ties between the UK and Ghana.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The British High Commission in Accra hosts regular networking events with the Ghana diaspora to share information and build connections to promote culture, trade and investment. This includes our annual Diaspora New Year networking event hosted by the High Commissioner which gathers up to 1,000 influential people from the UK/Ghana diaspora. Through collaboration with the British Council, the UK supports emerging creative talent through the Creative Economy Programme and sponsors projects across theatre, dance, visual arts and design.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funding the UK has provided to support social programmes benefiting cocoa farming communities in Ghana in the last five years.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has supported a number of global programmes relevant to the cocoa sector in Ghana, most notably 'Partnerships for Forests' (£120 million for 2015-24 across six countries including Ghana) and the 'Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) Programme' (£141.5 million since 2019, of which £17 million was allocated to Ghana). In addition, a bilateral 'Ghana Agricultural Transformation Programme' (£900,000 over four years) also included investments supporting cocoa companies to trial schemes to improve cocoa farmers' livelihoods.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to financially support low carbon farming.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is committed to our net zero ambitions and boosting nature’s recovery, which are the foundations of a productive and profitable farming sector.

Our Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) pay farmers to take up land management practices that contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The farming budget will be £2.4 billion in 2025/26, which includes the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history: £1.8 billion for ELMs to boost Britain’s food security and accelerate the transition to a more resilient and sustainable farming sector.

The Government has spent £51.8 million through the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP), with a further £98 million committed to ongoing projects in support of Agri-technology research and innovation. Many FIP projects support low carbon farming practices. FIP competitions for 2025/26 will include up to £12.5 million for the Net Zero Farming thematic competition.

Since 2021, Defra’s Farming Investment Fund awarded more than 11,000 grants worth over £130 million to farmers, growers and foresters to invest in technology, equipment and infrastructure, much of which supports low carbon farming practices. Of this, £107 million was through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF). The next window of FETF will launch in Spring 2025.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the emissions reductions required in agriculture to deliver the sixth carbon budge.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is absolutely committed to our net zero targets. We will publish an updated Carbon Budget Delivery Plan that sets out the policy package out to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037 for all the sectors in due course. This will outline the policies and proposals needed to deliver Carbon Budgets 4-6 and our Nationally Determined Contribution commitments on a pathway to net zero.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of Ghana’s role in promoting regional security in west Africa; and what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on supporting that role.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK and Ghana have a long-standing security and defence partnership, built upon Ghana's role as an exporter of security and stability. The UK welcomes the commitment by President Mahama to address regional security challenges and Ghana's appointment of an envoy to the Alliance of Sahelian States. During the Minister for Africa's recent visit to Ghana in January 2025, he welcomed President Mahama's intention to play an active role in bringing more security and stability to the region, whilst highlighting the UK's readiness to maintain close security cooperation.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Ghanaian counterpart on strengthening UK-Ghana diplomatic relations.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has a close relationship with Ghana, underpinned by a shared history, shared Commonwealth values and a respected and important Ghanaian diaspora. The recent visit of the Deputy Prime Minister to Ghana signals the importance this Government places on strengthened diplomatic relations, underscored in her meetings with President Mahama and the Ghanaian Foreign Minister. The Foreign Secretary has also written to Foreign Minister Ablakwa following his appointment, to extend his warm wishes and desire to strengthen our bilateral partnership. Finally, we see real potential in forging a mutually beneficial partnership for growth with Ghana, and we look forward to working with the UK Trade Envoy to Ghana to deliver this.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of visa processing times for Ghanaian nationals applying to visit or study in the UK.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Home Office publishes data on its performance against its service level agreement for visas, which can be found on the GOV.UK webpage: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

We are currently operating within published service standards for both tourism and study routes and continue to prioritise urgent compelling or compassionate cases across all workstreams. Where applications are complex and we require further information or checks, decisions may take longer.

UKVI encourages all customers to apply in good time ahead of intended travel dates.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, with reference to the Crown Prosecution Service Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023, whether the CPS convened a scrutiny panel in January 2024 as planned that focused on joint enterprise cases where evidence of gang association was a feature.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

As Minister Sackman has set out in other substantive answers on the the matter of joint enterprise, we are aware of concerns about the impact of joint enterprise doctrine on defendants and their families. That is why more broadly the Government continues to keep the law in this area under review.

With regard to the role of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), following publication of the Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023, the CPS held two national scrutiny panels on joint enterprise, with input from external stakeholders with relevant expertise and experience, to review the findings of the pilot and scrutinise joint enterprise casework. This review included a national scrutiny panel held on 1 February 2024 which focussed on joint enterprise cases where evidence of gang association was a feature.

The pilot found ethnic disparities in the caseload, but it was not possible to draw strong conclusions from the analysis due to the relatively small sample size (190 cases involving 680 defendants).

The CPS updated its case management system to commence a full national monitoring scheme in 2024. This monitors all homicide and attempted homicide prosecutions brought on a joint enterprise basis and will report annually. The CPS will publish a report on the monitoring data collected during the 2024/25 financial year in the summer.

Self-identified defendant ethnicity data from the police or other investigative authorities, subject to varying levels of error and omission at local levels, is uploaded to the CPS’ case management system. This can record the ethnicity category “W3 Gypsy and Irish Traveller” in accordance with criminal justice system data standards.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, with reference to the Crown Prosecution Service Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023: Data Analysis, published on 29 September 2023, what steps she plans to take to help tackle the ethnicity disproportionality outlined in that data.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

As Minister Sackman has set out in other substantive answers on the the matter of joint enterprise, we are aware of concerns about the impact of joint enterprise doctrine on defendants and their families. That is why more broadly the Government continues to keep the law in this area under review.

With regard to the role of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), following publication of the Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023, the CPS held two national scrutiny panels on joint enterprise, with input from external stakeholders with relevant expertise and experience, to review the findings of the pilot and scrutinise joint enterprise casework. This review included a national scrutiny panel held on 1 February 2024 which focussed on joint enterprise cases where evidence of gang association was a feature.

The pilot found ethnic disparities in the caseload, but it was not possible to draw strong conclusions from the analysis due to the relatively small sample size (190 cases involving 680 defendants).

The CPS updated its case management system to commence a full national monitoring scheme in 2024. This monitors all homicide and attempted homicide prosecutions brought on a joint enterprise basis and will report annually. The CPS will publish a report on the monitoring data collected during the 2024/25 financial year in the summer.

Self-identified defendant ethnicity data from the police or other investigative authorities, subject to varying levels of error and omission at local levels, is uploaded to the CPS’ case management system. This can record the ethnicity category “W3 Gypsy and Irish Traveller” in accordance with criminal justice system data standards.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, with reference to the Crown Prosecution Service Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023 whether the scheme is monitoring cases involving (a) Romani, (b) Roma and (c) Irish Travellers; and when will the scheme will issue its first report.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

As Minister Sackman has set out in other substantive answers on the the matter of joint enterprise, we are aware of concerns about the impact of joint enterprise doctrine on defendants and their families. That is why more broadly the Government continues to keep the law in this area under review.

With regard to the role of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), following publication of the Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023, the CPS held two national scrutiny panels on joint enterprise, with input from external stakeholders with relevant expertise and experience, to review the findings of the pilot and scrutinise joint enterprise casework. This review included a national scrutiny panel held on 1 February 2024 which focussed on joint enterprise cases where evidence of gang association was a feature.

The pilot found ethnic disparities in the caseload, but it was not possible to draw strong conclusions from the analysis due to the relatively small sample size (190 cases involving 680 defendants).

The CPS updated its case management system to commence a full national monitoring scheme in 2024. This monitors all homicide and attempted homicide prosecutions brought on a joint enterprise basis and will report annually. The CPS will publish a report on the monitoring data collected during the 2024/25 financial year in the summer.

Self-identified defendant ethnicity data from the police or other investigative authorities, subject to varying levels of error and omission at local levels, is uploaded to the CPS’ case management system. This can record the ethnicity category “W3 Gypsy and Irish Traveller” in accordance with criminal justice system data standards.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure funding for education is protected in the planned reduction of ODA.

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

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is a thought-leader in education and we continue to support harnessing educational opportunities for long-term growth and prosperity. We work in partnership with Global South governments to share policy expertise and pioneering education research and evidence to improve foundational learning, strengthen education systems, and improve quality of education particularly for the most marginalised. We are also unlocking additional education finance through mechanisms such as the innovative International Finance Facility for Education.

Detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review.

47th anniversary of the murder of Altab Ali

Lesbian Visibility Week 2025

Trans+ History Week

Immigration application fees for young adults and children

Collapse of Rana Plaza, Bangladesh

The death of His Holiness Pope Francis

Death of Pope Francis

Second state visit by Donald Trump

International Day of the Midwife

Libraries in state primary schools

Pesticides in public spaces

DARC in Wales

Avanti West Coast ticket offices and station staffing

Found: Connor Rand (Labour; Altrincham and Sale West) Joani Reid (Labour; East Kilbride and Strathaven) Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Found: Chair: In that case, let me turn to Bell Ribeiro-Addy.