Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help promote the inclusion of disability history in the national curriculum.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government’s ambition is for every child and young person to receive a rich and broad, inclusive and innovative education, and that the curriculum reflects our modern society and diverse communities, including disabled people. We will ensure disability is taught in the curriculum, so that all children and young people have a positive and informed understanding of disability.
The history curriculum provides a broad and flexible framework that allows schools to select which topics to teach across the key stages, and this can include history relating to disabled people. We are in the process of refreshing the history curriculum to support the teaching of the inherent diversity within history. We will consult on the curriculum from early summer, and we will fully implement the new full national curriculum for first teaching from September 2028.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2026 to Question 117363 on Water: Waste Disposal, whether she will publish an overview of the initial investigation of Extended Producer Responsibility for wastewater.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government’s initial analysis of Extended Producer Responsibility for wastewater concluded that whilst a regime could be an effective means of raising revenue, there remained data gaps around pollutants of concern (including points of origin and pathways into the environment) that would require further investigation to develop. The Government is focused on taking immediate action to tackle the causes of pollution head on. For example, in November 2025, the Government legislated to ban the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic in England. Furthermore, over the next five years over £10bn is being spent on storm overflows investment in England, improving over 2,500 storm overflows to reduce spills. Nearly £5bn is also being invested in upgrades at wastewater treatment works to remove phosphorus.
As recommended by the Independent Water Commission, the Government is considering reforms to the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations 1994 which would allow wastewater treatment standards to be strengthened. Reforms, coupled with shifting the focus towards ‘pre-pipe’ solutions, such as rainwater management and tackling sewer misuse, will help drive the improvements we want to see in wastewater management and consequently, in environmental protection.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) adding more female scientists to the National Curriculum and (b) making it mandatory for exam boards to include them in the syllabus.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government’s ambition is for every child and young person to receive a rich and broad, inclusive and innovative education, and that the whole curriculum reflects our modern society and diverse communities.
The science curriculum provides a broad and flexible framework that allows schools to choose how they teach topics across the key stages, and this can include the study of female scientists. We are in the process of refreshing the national curriculum, including the sciences. We will consult on the curriculum from early summer, and we will fully implement the new full national curriculum for teaching from September 2028.
Exam boards are responsible for developing qualification specifications that meet the subject content requirements set by the department and are accredited by Ofqual. While the department is responsible for decisions that relate to the scope of the subject content to be taught and assessed, exam boards are responsible for their own specifications.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to help reduce youth homelessness in Hornsey and Friern Barnet constituency.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 113761 on 23 February 2026.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support the museum sector.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
In January, the DCMS Secretary of State announced a historic £1.5 billion funding package for culture, to save more than 1000 arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings across England from closure. £160 million of this funding is earmarked for local museums. Many museums face financial challenges, and we take their concerns seriously: this year alone (2025/26), we have delivered £20 million through the new Museum Renewal Fund, supporting 75 museum organisations across England to keep sites open, and allocated £25.5 million towards essential infrastructure projects via the Museum Estate and Development Fund. This investment doubles the £44 million that Arts Council England invests annually in museums through their core funding programmes, including core funding for over 200 National Portfolio museum sites.
In the coming weeks, DCMS and ACE will set out how museums can apply for new funding programmes available from next financial year. As the National Development Agency for museums, ACE also provides critical support for smaller museum sites via the Museum Development Network. Museums also benefit from further support, via the VAT Refund Scheme and Exhibitions Tax Relief. DCMS-sponsored national museums receive annual funding to support their operations and for critical infrastructure works.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of restricting student visa access for women and girls from Afghanistan on the ability of those people to access education.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The UK has a proud tradition of supporting education, equality, and human rights, and we remain dedicated to helping the people of Afghanistan. Our current £151 million aid program (equivalent to 13.3 billion Afghanis) provides vital life-saving support to the country’s most vulnerable people, especially women and girls. We are committed that at least 50% of those reached by UK aid in Afghanistan are women and girls.
As set out in the Restoring Order and Control policy statement, the Government remains committed to the introduction of capped safe and legal routes for refugees and displaced people to come to the United Kingdom. These new safe and legal routes will start this autumn with a student refugee route, with the first arrivals in Autumn 2027. Dedicated humanitarian routes are the appropriate way to combine compassion and control with securing our border.
In the past 3 years more Afghan students claimed asylum than we issued new student visas in each year. This does not achieve the appropriate balance between compassion, control and a secure border.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Written Statement of 2 March 2026 on Asylum changes, HCWS1373, what recent steps her Department has taken to introduce community sponsorship.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
In the Restoring Order and Control policy statement, the Government committed to transforming its approach to safe and legal routes. This included the creation of a named sponsorship scheme to enable community groups to sponsor refugees and displaced persons.
Work is underway to deliver the named community sponsorship route. The Government is working with a range of stakeholders to design and develop the new pathway.
Further details, including timeframes for the launch of the route, will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
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 early diagnoses of Parkinson's disease.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the importance of a timely diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and the impact that early identification has on people’s long‑term outcomes. We remain committed to delivering the National Health Service constitutional standard for 92% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029. We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring lists and waiting times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard.
National programmes like NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) support faster diagnosis by using clinically‑led, data‑driven reviews to identify delays and unwarranted variation in neurology services. GIRFT provides evidence‑based recommendations to streamline referral and outpatient pathways, improve data quality, and share best practice between NHS trusts. This helps increase specialist capacity, reduce waiting times for assessment, and ensure more timely access to diagnosis for people with suspected Parkinson’s disease.
Additionally, by delivering the shifts outlined in the 10‑Year Health Plan, we can free up specialist capacity by increasing community‑based provision, reducing administrative burden through digital tools, and supporting earlier identification and management of neurological conditions like Parkinson’s. This will allow neurologists and geriatricians to focus on more complex cases and improve diagnostic timeliness.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with international partners on (a) support for the Myanmar Cooperation Treaty and (b) efforts to establish a Myanmar-led pathway towards a democratic settlement.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer my Hon Friend to the answer I gave on 10 February in response to Question 109884.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking to (a) help stop executions and (b) promote human rights in Saudi Arabia.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 11 December in response to Question 97116.